A Tale of Two Sisters
by 3Gs
Summary: After being crowned queen of a weakened Arendelle, Elsa must do everything in her power to restore her kingdom, protect it from those looking to exploit its weakness and keep her country's power-hungry nobility in check. But her greatest challenge will not come from without but from within herself and could harm the one person she treasures most in the world. Her sister Anna.
1. Public Service Announcement

Public Service Announcement

I do not own Frozen; it was developed by Disney Motion Pictures Studios. The characters are being barrowed for entertainment purposes only. So don't sue me, you won't get much anyhow. Comments and constructive criticisms are welcome.

Now, with that out of the way, I have a few things, warnings really, that I want to address. It goes without saying that I have a life outside of my writing. As such, I want to inform everyone that right now, at this point in time, my updates will more than likely happen monthly. Work takes up a majority of my time at the moment and for the foreseeable future.

Secondly, this story will touch on topics such as war, politics, corruption and religion. As well as a lesbian relationship between two sisters. If any of this is not your cup of tea for whatever reason, then I suggest you leave now. I have given you ample warning and will be unsympathetic if you complain about it later. Again, you have been warned. I think that about covers it. If you're still here then I hope you enjoy _A Tale of Two Sisters._


	2. The Wheel of Time

A Tale of Two Sisters

Part One: The Wheel of Time

By: Three Gs

King Adgar was not alone in his study. It was hard not to notice. Even without a physical body there with him, the presence that suddenly filled up the large room was powerful and oppressing, dominating everything in it, including himself. He felt no fear though. This was not the first time he had felt this overwhelming presence and while he was not used to it, it was at least familiar to him. It still did not prevent the slight jump of his body when green flame erupted in the middle of the room and a woman walked from within. She came to a stop in front of the desk he sat at, her black clothing fluttering in the wind the dissipating flames caused.

The king rose from his chair and bowed slightly to the intimidating fae, her wings, horns and black clothing giving her a menacing look. Adgar knew this not to be the case, however. She was simply protective of what she considered hers. And ever since coming to the Kingdom of Arendelle over one hundred years ago, she considered any and all fae creatures that resided within under her protection. King Adgar was more than fine with that. He knew next to nothing about the magical creatures that called his kingdom home and when it came to the protection of their lives, he was more than willing to defer to the advice of their guardian.

"Good evening, Maleficent."

"Hello, Adgar. You seem stressed."

"I am." The king walked over to a window and looked out into the night sky. "My wife has been in labor for the past six hours. I worry for her and my child."

A long silence stretched between the two occupants of the room before Adgar spoke again.

"When it was discovered that my wife was barren, Idun cried for days. It broke my heart to see the woman I love suffer because she could not give me an heir. But it hurt me even worse to know that I could not fulfill her simple wish of being a mother." He looked back to the fae, a sad smile tugging his lips. "We both know how I handled that."

"Indeed."

"And now here I stand in the same room, three years later, waiting for the birth of my second child. Another gift from God the physician will no doubt say." Adgar turned fully to face Maleficent and stared the fae in the eyes. "Tell me, who blessed us with this second miracle? We both know it could not be me."

"It was your wife Idun."

Adgar squeezed his eyes shut in pain. "Oh Idun. Why did she do this? Was she not happy with Elsa?"

"She did this _for_ Elsa."

The king looked up, confusion and surprise settling on his face.

"For...Elsa?"

"Your daughter was lonely, Adgar. But it was more than that, Elsa is special in a way that goes far beyond her powers. Troubled times lay ahead for you oldest, Adgar, and without this child to be by her side, she will not survive them. And neither will your kingdom."

"Is there a way for me to help them? To do anything?"

"There is not."

"Then you have come to collect I take it?"

"And if I have?"

Adgar was silent for a moment then said, "Then I will not resist. I knew the price when I asked for your help and paid it willingly. I would only ask if I could see my child before I go."

Maleficent held the king's gaze before her lips slowly curved into a tiny smile.

"That is a reasonable request but it is not up to me. Nor is the time of your payment. I merely created the agreement, the collection of the payment is beyond my control. Contrary to what many of your citizens discuss in hushed whispers, I am not some sort of Grim Reaper figure."

"Then why are you here if not to collect?" the king asked in confusion.

"To see if you would still honor the agreement. The world is full of unscrupulous men and I have had my fair share of dealings with them. And in the past it has cost me greatly. I needed to see if you were one of them. I am pleased to see that you are not. I believe that your wife is the same as well."

"A king's word is his bond. I would never break it. And neither would she."

"That is refreshing to know." The fae cocked her head slightly then smiled. "Our business for the night is concluded. You should go greet your new daughter."

With that, green flame erupted around Maleficent and in a flash she disappeared, leaving the king alone. Adgar let his vison return before he processed what the woman had said to him. Wrenching open the door of his study, he briskly walked through the halls of the castle until he reached his and his wife's bedchambers. He was surprised to see his three-year-old daughter standing outside the door, the doll that was made in her likeness clutched in her tiny arms.

"Elsa? What are you doing here?"

"Waiting," she softly replied, eyes never straying from the door.

Adgar knelt beside the princess. "Waiting for who?"

Elsa finally looked at her father. "My baby sister. The lady in black said I would meet her tonight."

Adgar didn't have time to respond. A scream from his wife and the loud crying of a baby had him surging to his feet and pushing the doors open. Elsa scurried in first and immediately went to her mother's beside. She circled around to the vacant side of the bed and climbed onto the mattress, resting on her knees and remaining still, clutching her doll to her chest as she waited for her sister to be given to her mother.

The king, meanwhile, stayed a respectable distance away and allowed the royal physician and his assistants to clean and examine his newborn daughter. After being determined healthy and with no visible deformities, the baby was wrapped in a white blanket and handed to the queen. Only then did Adgar move to sit beside his wife.

"Congratulations, Your Majesties, you have a healthy baby girl."

"Hello, Princess," Idun cooed to the child. "Welcome to the family." She turned the bundle in her arms so Adgar could see her. "Say hello to your daughter, Adgar."

The king smiled at the pudgy face that was presented to him and the several wisps of copper-colored hair that adorned the baby's head. He gently ran a finger over the crown of her head and felt his smile grow wider when his daughter's face scrunch up at the foreign touch. His daughter was going to be beautiful, he just knew it.

"Can I see her?"

The two monarchs turned at the sound of their daughter's near-whisper voice. Elsa had crawled across the empty side of the bed and stopped inches from Idun, clutching her doll like a lifeline. Beckoning her eldest daughter forward, the queen gently lowered her newborn to Elsa's eye level so she could get a better look at her.

Elsa's eyes widened in wonder as she got her fist look at her baby sister. She slowly reached out with a hand and gently brushed a finger over the down of hair and the baby-smooth skin of her cheek.

"She's so soft."

At Elsa's spoken words, the baby stirred. The king and queen readied themselves for the loud crying that would accompany the newborn's disturbed sleep. Instead the moment her eyes opened and they saw Elsa, she smiled and giggled. Elsa smiled in return.

"She's so cute. What's her name?"

The two monarchs looked at each other. Ever since it had been discovered that Idun was pregnant again they had been discussing potential names for the child. They had finally narrowed it down to two name, one for the boy and one for the girl. But in that moment, something passed between them and they knew that it was not their decision to name the baby. Clearing his throat, Adgar looked at his eldest daughter.

"Why don't you suggest something, Elsa? You're her big sister, you will be protecting her the most as she grows up."

Elsa was surprised by her father's words but no less determined to not let him down. Her face scrunched up in thought, wanting to come up with the perfect name for her sister. It was surprisingly easy to come by.

"Anna. I like Anna."

"Anna is a very pretty name," Idun said. "What do you think, Adgar?"

The king nodded. "It's very pretty indeed."

Idun kissed the top of her daughter's head. "It's decided then. Your name is Anna."

Elsa's face lit up in pure joy. Her parent's had decided to use her name and that made her happier than she thought possible.

Moving closer to her sister, Elsa brought her doll up and tucked it in next to her.

"Hello, Anna," she whispered. "I'm Elsa, your big sister. And I promise to look after you forever."

* * *

><p>[Six Years Later]<p>

"Hahaha, missed me, missed me!" Elsa giggled as she ducked behind a large snowdrift, a hole burning through it seconds later. She popped her head up and stuck out her tongue. "Missed me again!"

On the other side of the castle's private garden, Anna growled in frustration, the ice and snow that covered the ground melting around her feet. Her sister was so freaking _fast_ on the ice! Forming a small fireball in her hands, she launched it at her sister's laughing head, the blond barely able to duck in time as it sailed over her, striking the opposite wall and melting the snow where it hit.

"Hey!" Elsa yelled indignantly, patting the top of her head. "You singed my hair!"

"That's what you get for laughing at me," said the redhead and blew a raspberry at Elsa. She tasted snow seconds later. Wiping the powder form her eyes, Anna glared at her sister, who was lazily tossing a snowball up and down in her hand. Anger radiated off the younger princess and the snow melted from her face. She brought her hands up, her fire magic forming in the open palms. "Alright, Snowflake, it's on!"

Elsa dropped the snowball and slid down the embankment she was standing on, bringing her own ice magic to bare.

"Show me what you got, Firefly!"

The two girls were about to launch their magic at the other when the doors to the courtyard burst open and the king and queen walked in.

"Elsa! Anna!" their mother shouted.

The two princesses, startled by the sudden noise, lost concentration on their powers and the gathered magic was launched at the other girl, striking both in the head. The two dropped to the ground, unmoving. The monarchs ran to their children, gently lifting them into their arms.

"She's freezing!" Queen Idun said, cradling Anna to her chest.

"And Elsa's burning up," said King Agdar. He picked his daughter up and watched as a streak of red wound its way through the platinum blonde's hair. "I know where we have to go."

After arriving at the stables, the king and queen were mounted on their horses and riding hard and fast to the home of the trolls. The king quickly dismounted when they arrived, still cradling Elsa to his chest. He called out when he and his wife reached a small clearing, desperation thick in his voice.

"Pabbi! I need your help, please! It's my daughters!"

The clearing remained silent for a moment then the ground began to shake, a multitude of rocks rolling towards the royal couple. They stopped and formed a circle around the two and then every one of them unfurled, revealing the stone-colored faces of the trolls. The crowd parted as one of them waddled forwarded.

"King Agdar," he said.

"Pabbi. My daughters, please help them."

"Come, come, let me see them."

The king and queen brought their daughters to the troll's level. He placed a hand on the girl's head, concentrating a moment.

"Intentional or accidental?"

"It was an accident."

Pabbi nodded and his hands glowed for a moment then returned to normal. Both girls visibly relaxed, their pained faces turning content as they slept. Anna's shivering stilled and Elsa's sweating stopped.

"There, they will be just fine. We were lucky it was the head and not the heart. That would have been beyond my power to heal."

"Could you somehow seal the powers?" the queen asked. "Or remove them altogether? Do something to stop this from happening again?"

"I cannot. Their powers are too intertwined with their bodies and now each other. To seal them away or attempt to remove them would cause great harm to both."

The king asked, "What would you suggest?"

"Bring them to me for a week each month," the troll advised, tracing the different colored streak in each girl's hair. "I will teach them how to harness and control their powers, inform them of the dangers. Prevent an incident like this from happening again."

The king looked at his daughters then to his wife, she nodded in agreement.

"Very well. We will do as you ask."

"Then I will make the preparations needed and with luck they will learn to be more careful in the future."

* * *

><p>[Nine Years Later]<p>

"Hiya!"

Anna's shout echoed in the practice yard of the Royal Army barracks as she brought her flaming sword down in an arch in front of her. She smirked in satisfaction when the two ice spikes shattered in midair as they flew at her head. She brought the blade back up into a ready position and looked at her opponent.

"C'mon, Elsa, don't tell me that's the best you've got!"

Across the courtyard her sister stood calm and poised, as always, wearing an old dress that she did not mind getting damaged. The platinum blond brought her arms out to her side, two ice spikes forming in each palm. Pivoting on her heal, she spun in place, launching the spikes at her sister, aiming for her head and torso.

Anna's face split into a grin, fire almost literally erupting in her eyes. She brought a hand up and shot a fireball at the spikes rushing towards her head. The two powers exploded on impact and Anna had to quickly step to the side as the second pair sailed past her, one of the spikes still managing to graze her, a small tare in her own dress appearing on her arm.

"Ha! Look at that, you finally hit me! We're even now."

"Not for much longer," Elsa said. She brought an arm in front of her and another to her side. She created a sword made of ice in the first and gathered more of her power in the other. She shifted into a fighting stance.

Anna mimicked her sister.

"So, want to get up close and personal? Fine by me. Bring it on, Snowflake!"

"Have at you, Firefly!"

The two girls grinned at the cheesy line that they had read from a book one night in the library. Since then it had become sort of a staple in their sparing matches, a way to show that they were not serious and completely innocent. Using their powers, they propelled themselves forward, meeting in the middle of the courtyard, swords clashing, neither one melting or freezing. They broke apart then the dance began.

When the sisters first began utilizing their powers for combat, Anna had insisted that the two of them take fencing lessons. While it was true that their powers could keep anyone at a distance there was never a complete certainty that it would be effective all the time. With that in mind she wanted to be sure that the two of them could protect themselves if someone ever got close enough to them.

Elsa had resisted at first, being more comfortable with fighting at a distance but eventually Anna convinced her. And while Anna took to the sword better than she ever would it did not deter her from practicing anyway, only because her sister confessed it would give her a piece of mind, knowing that Elsa knew how to defend herself.

The two continued to dance around the courtyard, combining sword strikes and magical shots. They kept their power as low as possible so as not to damage the surrounding structure or any bystander who happened to stop and watch the sparring match. The two finally decided to bring their match to an end when they both began to breathe heavily and neither had been able to land a hit on each other. They both dismissed their swords and sank to the ground, Anna flopping on her back and Elsa resting on her knees elegantly.

"Draw?" Elsa asked the strawberry blond.

"Draw," her sister agreed. "One of these days I'm gonna beat you."

"Just not today."

"Good thing Mom and Dad are away on business. They'd kill us if they caught us going at it like that.

Elsa chuckled softly, bringing a hand up to cover her mouth.

"Maybe not kill us but they would defiantly make us sleep on opposite sides of the castle for at least a week."

Anna blew her bangs out of her eyes.

"Same difference. I can't stand being that far away from you. It really does feel like I'm going to die."

Elsa smiled gently and reached over to run a finger along the single strand of white in Anna's hair and began to idly play with the braid that it ended in.

"The one downside to being as close as we are to each other. If not for that, it would not be so horrible a punishment."

Anna's eyes traced Elsa's own strand of different colored hair, following the red streak down to the single braid that rested on her left shoulder.

"Maybe. But I wouldn't give this up for anything."

Elsa smiled brightly and leant over to plant a kiss on her sister's forehead.

"Neither would I." She stood and offered a hand to Anna. "Now, let's get cleaned up and changed. It's almost time for dinner."

Sitting up, Anna took the hand and was hauled to her feet, always surprised at the strength her sister possessed despite her slim frame.

The two left the training yard and walked across the bridge connecting the Royal Army Headquarters to the castle and entered, making their way to their rooms. They were halfway to their destination when the sound of footsteps caught their attention. Turning, they saw Octavius Vickers, their father's chancellor and his First Hand, coming in their direction accompanied by four Royal Guards. He bowed to the princesses.

"Your Highnesses, I'm glad I found you. I have news to deliver."

Elsa stepped forward, nervousness twisting and settling in her gut.

"What is wrong, Chancellor?"

"We received a message from the king and queen of Corona. Your parent's ship never reached port. A search vessel was sent out but reported that nothing was found, not even driftwood. The vessel has been declared sunk, all hands lost."

Elsa felt her breath leave her, as if a fist had slammed into her gut. Her whole world shifted, an intense case vertigo overcoming her and all but drowning out her sister's shriek of "What!? No!"

As her world continued to shift she felt an immense heat surround her but before she could move to calm her sister there was a shout of, "She's lost control! Subdue them!" There was pain and then her world went black.

After what felt like an instant later, color invaded her vision and she recognized the ceiling of her room. She sat up and tried to piece together what happened when there was an explosion from down the hall and her sister's panicked voice reached her ears.

"_Elsa!_"

Leaping from her bed, Elsa threw open her door and came face to face with two Royal Guards. They pulled their swords from their sheaths and brought them to bare on the young woman, Elsa reacted on instinct, shooting each with a blast of her power and freezing them to the opposite wall. She tore down the hallway to Anna's barely-used room, rounding the corner to see her sister standing in the middle of the hall, flams dancing around her body and surrounded by guards, their weapons trained on her.

"Anna!"

Elsa summoned a gust of icy wind and blew aside several guards, giving her sister a gap to escape through. As soon as she saw her sister, Anna was running towards Elsa, throwing herself into the older girl's arms. Holding her sister close, Elsa turned her eyes to the guards, a cold fury burning within the ice-blue orbs.

"What were you doing to my sister?"

The iciness in her voice was accompanied by a drop in temperature throughout the hallway, several of the windows frosting over, causing the men present to shiver. One of them stepped forward, sheathing his sword and raising his hands in a show of peace.

"We were under orders, Your Highness. Until further notice, Princesses Anna and Elsa were to be confined to quarters separately. Under no circumstances were they to leave their respective rooms or have any sort of contact with each other."

Anna whimpered in fear and Elsa held on to her tighter.

"Who gave those orders?" When the guard did not answer right away, Elsa stomped her foot on the floor. Ice rocketed towards the guard and encased all but his head. "Who?"

"R-r-regent Oct-t-tavius!" he managed though chattering teeth.

"Regent?" the princess asked, eyes blinking owlishly. "When did he become regent? How long was I unconscious?"

"One week, Your Highness."

Elsa turned to the voice and saw Kai standing behind her. Before she could ask any more questions he held up a hand.

"Please, Your Highness, I think its best we spoke in your room." He looked at the guards. "Clear this hallway. Inform Regent Octavius that I will speak with him shortly regarding the sisters."

The guards saluted and the second Elsa unfroze their fellow guardsman they ran from the hallway as fast as possible. When the trio reached the princess's room, she unfroze the two men still stuck to the wall and they too ran from the hall. Once inside and the door secured, Kai led the sisters to the bed where they sat down while he remained standing.

"There is little time, Your Highness," Kai started when Elsa opened her mouth. "A great many things have happened and I must bring you up to speed quickly. Octavius has staged a coup. When you and Princess Anna were subdued a week ago, the chancellor forced the royal physician to keep you both unconscious and spread a rumor that in your grief after learning of you parent's deaths, the two of you lost control of you powers and killed some of the staff in the castle. Indeed several staff members are missing, whether they are dead or alive, I do not know.

"After that, he addressed the people and stated that until your coronation, Princess Elsa, and for the safety of the citizens, the castle was to be sealed and he would act as regent until you came of age. As of now, complete power rests with him."

"And nobody stopped him?" Anna asked, bringing her head up from her sister's shoulder.

"No one could. He was using the law as his weapon."

"What about Aunt Maria of Corona? She is our mother's sister. As our closest living family she should be the one to act as regent, not Octavius."

Kai shook his head sadly.

"A technicality in the law prevented it. It states that only a member of the Arundel bloodline may act a regent until the next in line comes of age. Your mother married into the royal family of Arendelle and your father was an only child. Because of this, the law states that power shall rest in the hands of the chancellor until the time of coronation."

"But why separate us?" Anna nearly wailed. "Why lock us away and close off the castle?"

"Puppets," Elsa softly whispered. "Octavius wants us to be puppets that he would rule the kingdom through. Separate us, alienate us from the kingdom and the goings on within it, make us solely depend on him for everything so that when I'm crowned, I would follow his every word and suggestion without question."

Kai nodded.

"It is as you say, Princess Elsa." He leaned forward, taking the sister's hands in his own. "But fear not, myself and others caught on just as you have and we are prepared to help you. I will personally do everything in my power to make sure that you and Princess Anna are not separated. Also, there are two members on your father's council of advisors that are against Octavius and will remain in their positions in order to monitor his actions. As such, they wish for me to convey their deepest apologies to you in advance. In order to stay in their positions they will need to do things that Your Highness will not approve of but hope will understand the reasoning behind it."

Elsa nodded.

"I do. Who are they?"

"Field General Mikhail Snømann of the Royal Army and Fleet Admiral Dakkar Nemo of the Royal Navy. The Minister of Justice spoke out the loudest against Octavius and was promptly replaced but will still try to help both of you any way that he can. I can assure you that these men support you one hundred percent, they know where their loyalties lie." Kai glanced over his shoulder then leaned in close, the sisters doing the same. "Also, the Royal Spymaster is at your disposal. Whatever you need from him, send through me and I will make sure it reaches him."

Elsa released the breath she had been holding and visibly relaxed.

"Thank you, Kai. For everything."

The steward nodded and stood up.

"I must go. I was only allowed here because I told Octavius I could clam the two of you when you awoke. He must not suspect that I have told you anything of his activities." Giving the princesses hands a reassuring squeeze, Kai walked to the door and paused at the threshold. "Stay strong, Your Highnesses. We will get thought this. Arendelle will get through this."

With that he was gone, the door closing with an audible click, leaving the sisters alone.

* * *

><p>[Three Years Later]<p>

"Ugh! This is pointless!"

Elsa looked up from the note she had been reading. Anna had her hands in the air and pieces of parchment were raining down around her. She grabbed her braids in frustration and brought her head down onto the desk with a loud _thud_. Putting the letter aside, Elsa got up and went to her sister, rubbing soothing circles on her back while Anna groaned in irritation and pain.

"What's wrong, Firefly?"

"I'm getting nowhere, Elsa," came the woman's muffled voice. "I've been over these numbers so many times that I see them even when I close my eyes. Three years, Elsa! Three whole years and I've found nothing! No matter how many times I look over the records we've accumulated, I can't find any sign of wrongdoing! We know Octavius is embezzling money from the kingdom, we have the reports of his lavish spending from the Spymaster himself, and I just can't find any evidence!"

Elsa sympathized with her sister. She herself was growing frustrated with the lack of evidence they had been able to find surrounding Octavius's activities. Like Anna, she knew that the regent was stealing money from every business transaction going on in Arendelle. The fact that he was able to build himself a mansion on a councilor's salary was proof enough in their minds. But the evidence was almost impossible to come by. Octavius was being extremely careful to hide his transactions but no criminal was that good. They always slipped up somewhere. So why hadn't the regent?

"What have you been doing?" Anna asked after having calmed down. "You seemed pretty absorbed in that note of yours."

Elsa removed her hand from her sister's back and immediately missed the contact.

"Just reading over the recent Royal Decrees that Kai smuggled in for me."

"Again?" Anna's head snapped up. "What did that snake do this time!?"

"He didn't really do anything new, just increased the amount of taxes that business must pay the Crown for doing business in Arendelle."

Anna groaned and put her head in her hands.

"Ever since he became regent, he's used his power it to take more and more freedoms away from the people. And take more and more of their money. We've got to stop him, Elsa. If this keeps up, the people won't be able to do _anything_ without the monarchy's say so. They won't even be able to eat!"

Elsa ran her fingers though Anna's hair, her sister resting her head on the platinum blonde's stomach.

Anna was right, of course. Octavius was taking advantage of the unrestricted power he had acquired to bring more of the people's lives under his complete control. Not only that, but two years after their imprisonment, they learned that he had drastically cut the budget for the military leaving the kingdom with barely any fighting force at all. The navy, once an impressive one hundred ships strong, was now cut down to three. The army suffered the heaviest blow, barely a hundred troops in each of the nineteen cities and surrounding lands that made up the Kingdom of Arendelle. Without the extra protection of the army, crime was now running unchecked across the kingdom.

Well, except for within the capital. The City of Aust-Agder and the outlying towns under its protection were the safest place to be in the entire kingdom. Elsa had to refrain from releasing an unladylike snort. Of course the capitol was safe, it was where that snake, as Anna had called him, lived. Him and everyone that was in his pocket. If her kingdom was to be attacked before her coronation, there would be no way to stop the invading army. Elsa felt her stomach drop, wondering if that was Octavius's plan all along. Dear God, she hoped not.

Bending down she placed a kiss to the top of Anna's head, her younger sister sighing in contentment.

"Don't worry, Firefly. We'll stop him, I know it. And I know you'll be the one to catch him. The way you can read and understand numbers and almost any numerical problem is nothing short of astonishing."

Anna made a small noise of happiness and threw her arms around Elsa's waist, squeezing the woman in thanks for the praise she had given her. Anna loved receiving praise from her sister. Ever since they were little, it always filled her with warmth and so much happiness she felt like she would burst.

"Thank you, Elsa. I needed that." Letting her go, Anna gathered up the scattered parchments and placed them back on the desk. "Okay! Let's do this. I'll go through these public records again and make sure that I study every line and transaction as least three times."

Elsa smiled and began to walk back to her note when she froze in place, turning back to her sister.

"What did you say?" she all but whispered.

Anna looked up, confused at her sister's wide eyes.

"Nothing. Only that I'd check every line and transaction three times if I had-"

"No, no, no!" Elsa shook her head frantically. "The records! What did you say about the records!?"

Anna merely shrugged.

"They're public records."

Elsa was quite for a moment then she brought her hand up into her hair, pulling at the platinum-blonde locks and groaning, squeezing her eyes shut.

"Oh dear God above, I am such an _idiot_!"

Anna gasped. Elsa, an idiot? Never! Her sister was far from idiotic! She was the smartest, kindest, most beautiful person she had ever known! She was perfection! How could she even say that about herself? Jumping up, Anna grabbed her sister's wrists and gently pulled the hands from her hair.

"Elsa! How can you even say that? If anyone's the idiot here it's me. I mean, yeah sure, I'm good with numbers and all that but so are you! And you're great with all that other stuff, the politics and the sitting and the standing and the etiquette and all that stuff is just awkward. I mean you're not awkward, I'm awkward! You're gorgeous! Wait, what?"

Elsa couldn't stop the small chuckle that escaped her. Her sister was just too cute when she started to ramble. And the fact that she had called her gorgeous made her face heat up. She shook her head. She needed to focus and get Anna to understand her mistake.

"I _am_ and idiot, Anna. No, don't interrupt me, just listen." Anna's mouth snapped shut. "We've been looking in the wrong place. Octavius has my advisors and all the kingdom's nobles in his back pocket. It's how he's done so much damage in such a short time. And with the advisors at his beck and call he can get away with anything. Including having the Master of the Purse doctor public finance records."

Anna stared blankly for a moment then understanding erupted behind her teal eyes.

"Oh my God, I'm such an _idiot_!" Hands flew to her twin braids and yanked hard. "Of course we wouldn't find any discrepancies in the _public_ records! Anyone in the entire kingdom could have asked to see those and quickly gotten him removed! I can't believe I didn't even think of that." She began pacing. "What do we do now? We've wasted three years looking for a way to bring Octavius down and now there's only a month until your coronation! And if we can't find anything to charge him with by then you'll have no choice but to keep him and the rest of that pit of vipers on as your council members or risk being branded a tyrant if you forcefully remove them!"

"I know!" Elsa shouted, frustration getting the best of her. She immediately regretted it when Anna stopped pacing and looked at her, hurt in her eyes. "I know," she repeated, softer this time. "But we can't panic. We have to keep our cool. Okay, Anna, think. You're Octavius, you've been stealing money from the kingdom for about three years. How would you keep track of it?"

The hurt was gone from Anna's eyes in an instant, replaced by determination. She began pacing again but this time slower, more methodical. Her face was scrunched in concentration as she looked at the question from every possible angle, treating it like the numbers she worked with daily.

"It's obvious I wouldn't be able to record my transactions officially, even if I do have the entire kingdom under my thumb. Some things just can't be ignored. And you're right, I would need to keep track of it all. Even if I was a mathematical genius with a picture perfect memory that's just too many numbers to keep track of and remember. I would need a ledger, my own private ledger to record all my transactions in: how much money I took, who I paid off, what I bought, things of that nature. But who would I trust to keep the records? The Master of the Purse would be the obvious choice but he would be too busy keeping up with the finances of the kingdom and doctoring the official records.

"I could do it myself but unless my mathematical and organizational skills were top-notch, I could risk making a mistake somewhere and lose track of my funds. That would mean I would have to hire an accountant. Not a local though. Maybe someone from a neighboring kingdom or another continent. Then there's the money itself. Putting it into a bank would be too risky. It would draw unwanted attention to me and that's the last thing I need. So my only choice would be to hide it. Somewhere close, maybe in my house or another property that I own. And chances are I would keep the ledger there as well. If not, then somewhere separate but close by so my accountant could quickly make the needed additions to it when I would deposit additional funds."

Elsa watched in silent admiration and complete awe as her sister laid out the most likely of scenarios surrounding Octavius and the embezzled funds. It never ceased to amaze her how Anna could go from awkward and klutzy to serious and focused in almost no time at all when presented with a numbers problem. If the two of them succeeded in taking down Octavius and the other corrupt members of the council, she would make her sister the new Master of the Purse. No one else would fill that position better than Anna.

"That's what we need then," Elsa said. "The next time Kai comes to deliver the latest progress report on the kingdom, I'll instruct him to inform the Royal Spymaster to shift his focus on finding Octavius's ledger. With any luck one month will be enough time."

"And if it's not?"

Elsa briefly studied her sister and saw the small amount of fear in her eyes. She closed her own eyes and let out a slow breath, gathering her courage and her resolve. And when she opened them again they were hard, cold and utter determination was swirling within the ice-blue depths.

"Then I will do whatever is necessary to save my kingdom."

(End of Part One)


	3. The Coronation

A Tale of Two Sisters

Part Two: The Coronation

By: Three Gs

Elsa had been awake for hours.

No matter how much she tried, she could not make herself fall asleep. The day that she had been hoping for and dreading all at the same time was finally here. It was her birthday and her coronation day. She would be crowned Queen of Arendelle today and have the lives of over five hundred thousand people in her hands. She sighed softly and leaned back against the headboard. Right, no pressure at all. It wasn't just the coronation that was worrying the woman. In the one month since she and Anna had realized their error in searching for evidence against the current regent, she had yet to hear from the Royal Spymaster about locating Octavius's private ledger. And without that, any hopes of bringing justice down on him and is accomplices without severe repercussions were almost nonexistent.

But she would still do it. Even without any evidence, even if it labeled her a tyrant to the people, she would keep the promise she made to Anna a month ago. She would protect the kingdom, no matter the cost to her or her reputation. Kai had already said that he would stand beside her no matter what, as well as his wife Gerda. And Anna... Elsa couldn't help but chuckle lightly. Anna had loudly stated that she would always remain by her side no matter what and everyone else could just go fornicate themselves in a very painful place. Elsa was paraphrasing of course. Her sister's triad had lasted several minutes before she finally ran out of things to say and air in her lungs.

Thinking about her sister's rant brought a smile to Elsa's face. Anna's unwavering loyalty to her was a great source of strength for the eldest sibling. If not for her sister's presence, Elsa was sure that she would have gone mad from her isolation. Of course, it was thanks to Anna that the two had been able to remain together during their exile. After Kai had informed Octavius of the two's desire to remain together, the newly appointed regent had appeared at Elsa's room with a large contingent of Royal Guards and tried to remove Anna by force. That would be the first and last time he would ever touch either of the sisters.

Anna's fury had erupted. Her power exploded from her body, melting the guard's weapons and singing their cloths and skin. Elsa had used her powers to push them out of the room and away from her sister's flames but Octavius had not been so lucky. Anna had directed her power at him the most and he had lost his cloths and hair, leaving him permanently bald from that day on. As Anna had approached the terrified group of men, her power still raging around her, Elsa knew she had to stop Anna before her sister become a murder. Thanks to the opposite nature of her magic, Elsa could approach Anna without fear of being harmed by her powers unless Anna wished otherwise. Reaching the woman's side, she had wrapped her arms around her sister, whispering calming words in her ear and successfully soothing her anger.

When Anna had finally relaxed and asked why Elsa had stopped her, the elder sister explained that if she had kept going, Octavius would have more leverage to use against them and possibly prolong their isolation. Anna had understood but didn't like it. Turning back to the quivering regent, Elsa had remembered something that her father had told her after one of her and Anna's lessons. He had told her that there were two things to remember about all politicians. One was that they always wanted more power and second was that at their core politicians were cowards who would not hesitate to throw their friends and allies overboard if it meant saving their own skin.

Armed with this knowledge, Elsa had suggested that in order to avoid an incident like this again, it would be best that she and her sister remain together until her coronation. Octavius had readily agreed but before he could scamper away, Anna had chosen that moment to threaten the man, swearing that if he or anyone tried to separate her from Elsa again, she would not hesitate to burn down the castle to get her sister back and that the last thing he would see before she burned him alive would be her face.

Elsa was quite sure that if the regent had not fled at that precise moment, he would have relived himself all over the carpeted floor. The two never saw him again after that incident but they could tell that he tried extra hard to keep them as ignorant as possible about what was happening in the kingdom. One way he did it was by drastically reducing the staff so idle gossip and rumors would not reach the two sisters. Kai and Gerda had circumvented that by smuggling in the finance records as well as hand-written reports about the kingdom's state of affairs. But even these reports could only tell them so much.

Movement at her side drew the platinum blonde from her memories. Anna lay curled around Elsa's leg, using her thigh as a pillow, a thin line of drool escaping her mouth and soaking into Elsa's nightgown. The smile widened as she ran her fingers through the strawberry-blonde locks and traced the single strand of white hair, surprised that they were actually staying in one place for once instead of sticking up in every direction like normal. Anna let out a soft, content hum from the back of her throat and burrowed herself deeper into Elsa's leg. As amusing as it would be to watch her sister mumble incoherently in her sleep, they had to get up. They had a big day today.

Moving her hand from her sister's hair, Elsa gently shook Anna's shoulder, trying to rouse the young woman from slumber.

"Anna," she whispered softly, "it's time to wake up."

The princess groaned and tightened her grip on Elsa's leg, trying to bury her face deeper into her thigh pillow.

"Fiv' mo' min'ts..."

"No, Firefly, we have to get up now."

A shake of the head.

"Don' wanna. Comfy."

Puffing her cheeks out in mild annoyance, Elsa tried shaking her sister awake again, only to get a light snore in response. Seeing no other choice, the elder princess lifted her hand and created a small snowball. Lifting the back of Anna's nightgown she maneuvered the snowball to hover between the girl's skin and the stretched material. Bracing herself, she smashed the snow into Anna's back and watched in satisfaction as her sister let out a shriek of surprise and fell out of the bed, landing on the floor with a resounding _thud_. Crawling to the edge of the bed, Elsa rested on her stomach and peered down at the younger girl as she rubbed her bottom.

"Awake now?"

Anna looked up and glared murderously at her smiling sister, contemplating on shoving a fireball in her face and singing her eyebrows away. Elsa saw the intent and wagged a finger in front of her face.

"Ah, ah, ah, none of that. We have a lot to do today so no fireballs to the face, dear sister."

Anna grumbled and picked herself off the floor, hating the fact that Elsa could read her so well. Walking over to her barely-used bed, she stripped out of her nightgown and threw it on the piece of furniture. She turned around to see Elsa stripped off her nightwear as well, folding it neatly and placing it in a dresser drawer. The strawberry blonde couldn't help but marvel at her sister's perfectly flawless skin. Not a blemish or a mark anywhere. While hers on the other hand...somehow she managed to still get a few small scars even when confined to a single room for three years. And then there were her freckles.

Anna had always felt rather self-conscious about her freckles. Although she didn't outright hate them, she did feel that they were a little to many of them and a bit too pronounced against her skin. Elsa disagreed with her, of course, stating that they were part of what made her beautiful. Anna believed her sister's words were genuine and she wasn't saying it just to make her feel better. But when standing next to the woman, she couldn't stop the feelings of insecurity from rearing their ugly head.

"Stop that," a soft voice whispered in her ear. She felt a slightly cool body press against her back and arms circle around her middle. "You're beautiful."

Anna leaned back into the comforting embrace, her eyes closing in contentment.

"How do you always do that?"

"Do what?"

"Know what I'm thinking. No matter what, you always seem to know when I'm upset."

"We've been practically inseparable since you were born, Anna. Of course I'm going to know when my little Firefly is upset." Elsa placed a kiss to Anna's left shoulder. "And you've been staring at your freckles again."

Anna lowered her eyes to the floor.

"I can't help it. When I see them or I stand next to you I just feel so...so..._inferior_."

Elsa's mouth twisted into a frown.

_Inferior? How could she even...? Why is she...? How long has she been feeling this way?!_

Elsa saw the amount of pain on her sister's face and knew that this was not like the other times when a few kind words from Elsa would make her feel better. She was going to have to prove to Anna that she was beautiful and, more importantly, not inferior. She glanced around the room and found what she would use to help her. Now she just needed the right words and hoped they conveyed her message properly. Slightly turning her sister's body, Elsa stepped to the left then placed her hands on Anna's shoulders.

"Anna, look up. Please."

The princess reluctantly did as her sister asked and gasped. She met the refection of her and Elsa standing side by side in the full-body mirror, naked as the day they were born, hair loose and cascading down their backs. Standing so close together like this, Anna could see the vast differences between her and Elsa's body. Smooth, flawless skin, pale as snow and not a blemish to be seen, compared to her own peach-colored skin that had its fair amount of tiny scars here and there. Unable to look anymore, she shut her eyes and turned her head to the side and brought her arms up to cover her chest. Cool fingers gripped her chin, gently pulling her face towards the mirror again but she kept her eyes firmly closed.

"Open your eyes, Anna," Elsa warm breath ghosted her ear.

"Why? I already know what I'm going to see."

"And what's that?"

"Me. Plain, boring, imperfect me!"

"I'm hardly perfect myself, Anna."

Anna stomped her foot but kept her eyes closed.

"Don't say that! You are perfect! Everything about you is! Your hair, your eyes, your _body_! So is everything you do! And why wouldn't it be? You're the heir and I'm just the spare! Once you become queen there'll be no use for me! I'll just become Princess Anna, a girl with no real use or purpose other than to marry off to some prince in another kingdom for political reasons!"

Elsa's eyes widened in understanding during Anna's rant. So that was the core of the problem. Her sister thought that she would have no more use for her after the coronation. Well that was hardly true but Anna didn't know that. Although, Elsa began to wonder if maybe she should tell Anna about her decision to make her Master of the Purse but decided against it. Now was not the time. If she did it now, Anna would only see it as a sympathy gesture. But that was a problem for later. Right now, Elsa needed to show her sister how wrong she was about herself.

"That's not what I see," Elsa began. She traced her hands down Anna's arms, gently circling the wrists and brought them away from the younger girl's chest. "What I see is a princess who is worth more to this kingdom than any lord or noble within its borders will ever be.

"I see my sister," she gently continued, guiding the arms back down to Anna's side then bringing her hands back to the princess's face, wiping away the tears. "Whose love and compassion knows no bounds. Who was with me during my darkest times and forced herself to be happy and optimistic so that I wouldn't submit to my own inner demons. And who let me hold and comfort her when the mask became too much to bear and crumbled away."

With the tears dried, Elsa gently lifted Anna's chin and the strawberry blonde's eyes reluctantly opened, meeting her sister's in the mirror. Anna was barely able to stop the gasp of surprise that tried to escape her. Elsa's ice-blue depths were boring into her teal ones, so many emotions swirling within them that Anna swore she could _feel_ them. If Elsa had not been holding her, she was sure that she would have collapsed to the floor from the sheer intensity of what she was seeing.

"And finally," Elsa whispered, eyes never leaving hers. "I see a beautiful young woman who thinks far to less of herself and has absolutely no reason to." Elsa's fingers then began to lightly trace the scars on Anna's body, having memorized where every one of them was located. "What you see as imperfections, I see as being a part of who you are, just as your hair color is. What you see as flaws, I see all the things that make you, you and without them, you would not be the princess, sister and woman that I love so very much."

Tears leaked from Anna's eyes again. She never knew that her sister saw her that way. To have such high praise coming from Elsa, who she revered and idolized, was more than she could have hoped for. She was expecting a few simple kind words but this, this was more than she would have ever expected. Twisting in her sister's arms, Anna threw her own around Elsa neck and pulled her into a tight embrace. Elsa returned it, on arm wrapping around Anna's waist and her other hand coming up to comb through her strawberry-blonde locks.

"Thank you," Anna whispered over and over again, tears dripping onto Elsa's collarbone.

"Anything for you, Firefly." Elsa pulled back slightly and wiped the wetness from Anna's eyes. "Now, no more tears. We still have the rest of the day to get through. And to start it off, we need a bath."

Anna nodded enthusiastically.

"Okay! Let's go!"

Grabbing her sister's hands, Anna pulled her into the adjacent bathroom, slamming the door behind them.

* * *

><p>"Are you sure it looks alright?"<p>

Elsa turned to her sister after fastening a magenta cape around her neck. Anna was sitting at their shared vanity, staring at the mirror intensely and lightly picking at her hair. Elsa walked over and moved the girl's hands away from the bun that her hair had been twisted into.

"Its fine," Elsa insisted. "But if you keep fidgeting with it, all my hard work will have been for nothing."

"Sorry," Anna said sheepishly. "I just want to look perfect. It's your coronation ceremony after all."

Elsa took her sister's hands and pulled her to her feet. She looked into Anna's eyes and gave her hands an affectionate squeeze.

"You _are_ perfect. You don't have to worry about that. We have other things to worry other than our hair."

Anna frowned.

"Still no word from Kai?"

"None. If our own spymaster was unable to find these ledgers, there is little hope of convicting Octavius within the bounds of the law. Our allies on the council may speak out against him, but without physical evidence, it's all just hearsay."

"So you'll just let him go?"

Elsa shook her head.

"No. I made a promise to protect this kingdom, Anna, no matter the cost to myself. I may be viewed as a tyrant because of it but I will remove this stain on Arendelle's honor."

"And I'll be right there beside you through it all."

Elsa's heart swelled with happiness and she leaned in, brushing the tip of her nose with Anna's.

"Sometimes I feel like I don't deserve you."

Anna returned the affection with a giggle.

"You deserve me and more. So, what are we supposed to do for the next hour or so?"

"No idea," Elsa said, dropping her sister's hands and sitting in her reading chair next to the room's only window. "I honestly think we have discussed every 'what if' scenario there is to think of."

Anna sat on the bed and flopped back, lazily kicking her legs as they dangled off the edge of the mattress. Creating a fireball, she began tossing it back and forth between her hands.

"Well then, what about afterwards?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, what are we going to do after we take care of Octavius?"

Elsa looked out the window and sighed.

"There will be a lot of...cleaning up to do. I will need to appoint new advisors to my council and make sure they were not in league with Octavius and his schemes. I will also need to arrange for a trial to take place after Octavius's arrest. I also plan to convene an emergency session of the Council of Lords and have the lord mayors from the other major cities act as witnesses to the trial." She turned back to Anna and watched in amusement as her sister's fireball became a small phoenix and it began circling the princess' head. "After that, the long and arduous process of rebuilding the kingdom itself will begin."

Silence stretched between the two women until the strawberry blonde broke it.

"I want to help."

"Anna?"

"I said I want to help. I'm not letting you fix this kingdom all by yourself, Elsa. I don't care how small or unimportant the task is, whatever I can do to lighten your burden, I want to do it. Even if it's nothing more than bringing you a cup of tea or hot chocolate just to calm your nerves, I'm going to help you and I'm not taking no for an answer."

Elsa could only stare at Anna, adoration swelling within her. Not even queen yet and already her sister was offering her services.

_I really don't deserve you sometimes._

"Oh, Anna, you don't have to worry about that. I've already-"

Elsa was cut off by three light knocks at the door. Both women jumped to their feet and stood beside each other, Anna quickly dismissing her tiny phoenix. The lock clicked and the door opened, Kai and Gerda standing on the other side. The two slightly bowed.

"Your Majesty, Your Highness, it's time," Kai said.

Closing her eyes, Elsa took a calming breath and released it slowly. She opened them and looked at Kai, hoping for good news. Her hopes were dashed when he gave her a slight shake of his head. She steeled her emotions, her mantra of "Conceal, don't feel" echoing through her head, something she had created on her own, to use as trigger to suppress her emotions so that no one could see weakness and take advantage of it. Straightening her posture, she began to walk out the door when she felt a tug on her cape. Turning, she saw Anna holding a pair of cyan-colored gloves.

"You forgot these."

Elsa slipped them on and her sister smiled.

"Perfect."

Taking each other's hand, the two women interlaced their fingers and walked out of their shared room together for the first time in three years.

* * *

><p>The coronation ceremony went off without a problem. The small chapel within Arendelle's public courtyard was just big enough to house the visiting dignitaries from allied nations and the lord mayors from Arendelle's nineteen largest cities. Elsa had recognized none of them but she had a good memory and had no doubt that Kai would help her put names to the faces. She had nearly lost control of her emotions when she faced the crowd to be recognized as the new queen and saw Octavius and what servants in the castle called the Gang of Eight near the back of the chapel. Along with the regent, these eight men had kicked the other four advisors off her father's council leaving no one to oppose Octavius as he ruined her kingdom.<p>

They were all there, Octavius, the leaders of her army and navy, the Master of the Purse, the Minister of Trade and Minister of Foreign Affairs. She had also been informed that two new members had been added to the council, the Keeper of the Laws and the Minister of Justice. These two were not permeant members of the council, only joining in if an important matter had to be brought before the Crown. Elsa could only speculate that Octavius brought them on so they could make manipulating the wording of the law easier to help further his agenda.

The man was wearing a smug grin the entire time and Elsa wanted so badly to send a couple dozen ice spikes through the bastard's face. She knew Anna saw him and felt the same when she noticed the tempter rise slightly. Fortunately her sister had reigned in her powers and kept herself from making a scene.

The ball was already in full swing when she and Anna arrived. The Great Hall had been successfully transformed into its secondary use as a ballroom. Musicians had their instruments out, playing a lively traditional Arendelle jig and Elsa watched in fascination as dancers swung their partners around the dance floor. The song concluded and Kai gave her the tiniest of nodes. This was it. The Royal March started playing and she slipped on her mask, walking out onto the floor, coming to stop in front of the throne, the crowd bowing before her.

"Queen Elsa of Arendelle, Protector of the Realm!" Kai loudly announced. "Princess Anna of Arendelle."

Anna walked out seconds later from the other side, coming to stand beside her sister. The Royal March ended and the crowd applauded. After it died down, the room was filled with the quite buzz of conversation. Servants walked through the crowds, trays of hors d'oeuvers and champagne expertly balanced on their hands. Elsa and Anna couldn't help but stare wide-eyed at the amount of people packed into the large room.

"So," Elsa started softly, "this is what a party looks like."

"There's way more people than I was expecting," Anna added. "I wonder why Papa and Momma never let us attend parties that often."

The queen chuckled lightly.

"Think about it, Anna. Do you really think that a couple children and, worse yet, a couple of just-turned-teenagers would have been able to behave properly for very long during something like this? We would have been bored out of our minds! And knowing us, we would have made our own fun by constantly changing the room temperature between hot and cold."

"Probably," Anna chuckled in agreement. She abruptly stopped when the most delectable smell assaulted her nose. "Elsa, do you...?"

Her sister nodded.

"Is that what I think...?"

Both sisters deeply inhaled and faced each other, eyes wide and smiles nearly splitting their faces in half.

"Chocolate!"

The two erupted into a fit of giggles. The laughter subsided and as they looked at each other, a silent agreement passed between them: they were _defiantly_ visiting the desert table before the night was over. A throat clearing brought them back to the present and they saw Kai standing next to a short man with slicked back white hair and glasses.

"Your Majesty, may I present to you Hoban Tudyk, the Duke of Weasel Town."

"_Weselton_!" the diminutive man snapped. He approached the queen, a smile replacing his frown. "The Duke of Weselton, Your Majesty."

"A pleasure to meet you, Duke Tudyk. May I present my sister, Princess Anna."

Anna curtsied.

"Your Grace."

"It is good to see that Your Majesty and Her Highness have recovered. Regent Octavius informed those present how the loss of your parents - God rest their souls - had affected the both of you greatly, the grief rendering the both of you bedridden for nearly all this time. My deepest condolences on your loss."

_Ah, so that's how Octavius explained our absence from the public eye all this time,_ Elsa mused. _No one outside the kingdom knows about our powers. Okay, play the part. Don't let them know. At least not yet._

"Thank you for your kind words, Duke Tudyk. It is because of Regent Octavius that we are able to be here today. He has done so much for me and my sister. I don't know what I would do without him."

Elsa could see Anna try not to gag out of the corner of her eye and did her best not to break her regal mask, no matter how foul the words tasted as they left her mouth. She caught her sister's eyes, silently pleading with her to just bear with it for a little longer. She turned her attention back to the duke in time to see him smile. It sent a shiver of repulsion down her back. There was no doubt that he was in league with Octavius.

"Indeed." The duke perked up. "Well, as your closest partner in trade, it seems only fitting that I offer you your fist dance as queen."

Elsa could only watch in astonishment as the duke let loose with a series of moves that should have been impossible for someone of his age to pull off. He ended his display with a deep bow and both women had to cover their mouths when the duke's hair pealed from his head, revealing it to be toupee. Elsa recovered first and cleared her throat.

"Thank you." She had to hold her laughter in when the duke straightened up and the toupee flopped back into place. "Only I don't dance."

"Oh."

"But my sister does."

Anna nodded absentmindedly and then her sister's words sank in.

"Wait, what?"

She felt an arm loop through one of hers and found the duke looking up at her, smiling broadly.

"Lucky you." The duke dragged Anna though the crowd, ignoring her weak protests. "If you swoon let me know, I'll catch you."

The queen smiled apologetically and waved at Anna's retreating form.

"Sorry."

Elsa watched as her sister was twirled about by the overeager duke, chuckling at his exaggerated dance moves. She had to take her eyes away when a man and woman presented themselves before her, the man identifying himself as the lord mayor of the City of Oslo and introducing the woman on his arm as his wife. The three made small talk for a few moments then the pair left with a bow. Elsa saw Anna making her way back to her. The princess made it back to her side just as Kai came to stand behind her, slipping a small piece of paper into a gloved hand.

"From the spymaster," he whispered.

Elsa felt her heart speed up, anticipation and hope swelling within her chest. Hands slightly shaking, she flicked her eyes around the ballroom, making sure that no one was watching her. When she saw no eyes trained on her, she opened the folded piece of paper and stared at the three most beautiful words in her country's written language.

_'I have it.'_

Her heart felt like it was going to explode from her chest. Her breathing became shallow and all of the sudden her corset felt far too constricting on her chest. She felt like she was going to faint. This was it! This was what she and her sister were hoping for. This was what they suffered three years of isolation for. She passed the note to Anna, quickly whispering in her ear, fighting to get her breathing back under control.

"Read it and burn it."

Anna quickly read the note and couldn't hide her sharp intake of breath. She crumpled the paper and incinerated it, a tiny puff of smoke leaking out between her fingers and dissipating into the air. Elsa turn to Kai, whom had not moved.

"What of the plans?"

"I enacted them as soon as preparations for the ball began." He subtly motioned to the guards stationed throughout the room. "I handpicked these men myself and all are loyal to you and the princess."

"When does the party officially end?"

"In an hour, Your Majesty. And I would advise against ending it early. We do not need to arouse suspicion."

"Thank you, Kai."

The man nodded and resumed his position. Anna moved closer to Elsa, excitement coming off the woman in waves. She was practically bouncing on her heels.

"Well? What are you going to do?"

"Wait."

The princess' smile immediately vanished.

"Wait? Why do we need to wait? We have what we need now!"

"Octavius will grow suspicious if I end the party prematurely," Elsa explained. "I do not want to give him a reason to suspect us or get a head start if he tries to escape. Just one hour, Anna, that's all we need to get through. We've waited three years for this moment, I think we can wait just a little bit longer."

Anna nodded and clenched her fists, willing herself to calm down.

"I know, I know. We're just so damn _close_, Elsa!"

"Language!" the queen chided. She needed to calm Anna down, her sister was starting to get antsy. Latching onto the first idea that came to mind, Elsa held her hand out to Anna. "Would you care to dance?"

Anna looked at the offered hand and smiled, placing her own in it.

"I get to be the Queen's first dance? How can I refuse?"

Kai unfastened the magenta cape and Elsa smiled as she led Anna out to the dance floor, the crowd parting for the two women.

"You can't."

A slow waltz started up and Elsa took the lead. The queen was thankful for all those dance instruction books she and Anna had read. Otherwise they would be making fools of themselves right now. As the two women twirled on the dance floor, Elsa scanned the room for sight of the regent and members of the Gang of Eight. She found all of them near the front, by the doors. The Duke of Weselton was with them and so was a man in a white suit with auburn hair and green eyes. She didn't know who he was but if he was associating with the duke and the council then chances were he was in league with them.

Not for the first time, Elsa had wished that the spymaster had been able to get a copy of the list of people attending the ceremony. But apparently Octavius had kept it on his person at all times. Even when he slept. The man's paranoia knew no bounds.

"What are you thinking about, Elsa?"

Anna's voice drew the queen from her thoughts. She smiled at her dance partner, giving her a twirl then drawing her back in.

"Nothing important. But I did spot Octavius and the rest of his cronies near the front of the room."

Anna frowned then glanced near the door when it came into her field of vision. Her frown turned into a sneer of disgust.

"That bastard better not be thinking of running," she hissed.

"Language, Anna," Elsa reminded her again. "And no, he's not running. As a matter of fact..."

Elsa trailed off as the waltz came to an end, the gathered nobles applauding the queen and princess. The two curtsied to each other and Elsa turned to face the doors as Kai reattached the cape to her neck.

"He's coming this way."

The crowed parted as a group of ten men approached the queen and princess. Elsa recognized all of them except for the man in the white suit and who she assumed was the new Minister of Justice. She felt her skin crawl at the sight of them bowing before her, pretending to show respect and fealty when both she and Anna knew what they were really after. She forced herself to appear calm and collected, beating down her emotions so the men gathered would not see how much she loathed them. Octavius made to speak fist but the Duke of Weselton beat him to it.

"Most impressive dancing, Your Majesty. But I thought you said you did not know how."

Elsa was quick to come up with a believable excuse.

"My apologies, Duke Tudyk. I must confess that I was afraid I would embarrass a man of your dancing prowess with my inexperience." She looked at Anna and smiled sheepishly, keeping up the act. "But when your sister has potential blackmail material to use against you, you can't exactly say no, can you?"

The duke let out a hearty laugh, his still-loose toupee bouncing on his head slightly.

"No, I suppose you cannot. Well, I hope you will consider saving the last dance for me then?"

"I shall do my best to," Elsa replied politely.

"Wonderful! If you will excuse me then, Your Majesty. Gentlemen."

The duke walked off and Elsa let loose and inner sigh of relief.

"Quite the energetic man, isn't he, Your Majesty?"

"Energetic and persistent. It is good to see you, Regent Octavius." Elsa forced a smile on her face as she spoke to the regent, his bald head reminding her of what Anna did to him, making the smile somewhat easier to maintain. "You have done a wonderful job planning this coronation ball."

"Pleas, Your Majesty, no need to be so formal," he said, speaking as if they were old friends. "And I am no longer the regent. As of today I am simply your chancellor again."

_Oh, not for much longer you're not, baldy._

Elsa had to suppress a chuckle when the voice in her head ended up sounding exactly like Anna. She could see her sister saying that, standing over Octavius with a smug smile on her face.

"I know that the evening is almost over, Your Majesty," Octavius continued. "But I would like to introduce you to someone before the ceremonies are ended."

He gestured to the young man in white beside him who stepped forward and bowed.

"Prince Hans Westerguard of the Southern Isles. A pleasure to meet you, Queen Elsa."

"Likewise. My sister, Princess Anna."

Anna curtsied and Hans shot her a charming smile. Elsa mentally rolled her eyes when her sister practically swooned. She had always been the romantic of the two of them, preferring romance novels over histories or classics like she did.

"Prince Hans is here on behalf of the Southern Isles to negotiate the possibility of opening a trade route between the two kingdoms."

"I hope you will be open to the idea, Your Majesty. My father has waited three years for this chance."

"Three years? Forgive me for saying so, but the king certainly waited a long time to discuss the business of trade. An agreement could have just as easily been reached through Chancellor Octavius when he was acting regent."

"No doubt," agreed the prince. "But my father is a bit of an elitist and would rather have all his business dealings go through the royal family and not a lesser lord. No offence intended, Chancellor Octavius."

Octavius waved a dismissing hand.

"None taken, Prince Hans. I am quite aware of King Hector's view of where the nobility lies when compared to royalty. And I've been dealing with men like him during my entire tenure as chancellor. My skin is impossibly thick thanks to that."

"That is a relief to hear. So, Queen Elsa, what say you to this proposal? I do not require an answer tonight, it is a party after all and the last thing I want to do is ruin it with talk of business. Would you at least be willing to consider it and talk about the details at a later time?"

_Keep up the act_, Elsa reminded herself.

Pretending to fidget nervously, she cast a glance at Octavius who nodded slightly in return.

"Very well. I will speak with my council tomorrow and inform you if they find the proposal favorable to our two kingdoms."

"Excellent! I will be staying at the Dignitary's Mansion for the duration of my visit here. Send someone there to find me when a decision has been reached." He bowed once more. "Your Majesty, Your Highness."

When the prince was gone, Elsa looked at Octavius again, putting on the façade of a nervous and unsure queen.

"How did I do?"

"You were splendid, Your Majesty!" he praised. "I have no doubt in my mind that you will make a fine queen."

"Only if you are there to help me, Chancellor. Your experience will be invaluable to me and the council."

"I'm honored, Your Majesty." A grandfather clock chimed in the background and Octavius pulled a watch from his vest pocket, checking the time and putting it away. "Well, I do believe this party has run its course. Shall we call it a night, Queen Elsa?"

"I believe that would be best, yes. Before we do, I would like to address the guests. And I was hoping that you and the council would remain as well, Chancellor. I would very much like to publicly recognize you and your colleges for all that you have done for Arendelle as well as myself and my sister. It would mean so much to us."

Elsa's poke at the group of men's ego and pride had worked. They all nodded, stating that they would be honored to be recognized by their queen.

Making her way back to the raised dais, Elsa nodded to Kai and he motioned to the musicians who started playing the Royal March, drawing the crowd's attention to the queen and princess. She was pleased to see that the council members were at the front of the crowd, making their escape more difficult should they try to run. Elsa was actually hoping that some of them would try. Part of her plan called for it. But if none did, it would be of no consequence. She would simply have to adjust her actions a little bit.

The music ended and Elsa straightened her posture, slipping on her regal mask. She could see Anna attempting to do the same but the anticipation of what was to come was making it very hard for the princess. She was ashamed to find that she was excited too but had to keep up appearances for the time being. If things went as she wanted them, she would be able to release everything she had kept pent up inside of her for the past three years. Taking a calming breath, she stared across the crowd and began to speak.

"Lords, Ladies, visiting dignitaries, I wish to thank all of you for making the long trip to my kingdom to attend this ceremony. It brings my heart great joy to see the many friends that Arendelle has made over the years."

There was a brief bout of applause and Elsa waited for it to run its course before speaking again.

"Before I officially bring the ceremonies to a close, as I am sure all of you are eager to retire for the evening and marshal your strength for the unavoidable hangovers that will assault you in the morning," a brief chuckle rolled from the crowd. "I wish to formally recognize a group of men, and one man in particular, who helped Arendelle immensely while my sister and I recovered from our loss. Gentlemen, please step forward."

The council members stepped towards the dais and turned to face the crowd. Applause once again emanated from the gathered nobles. As the eight men reveled in the attention, Elsa nodded for Kai to begin. He moved to the nearest guard and whispered in his ear. The guard nodded and singled to the pair nearest to the door. Immediately the doors closed and Elsa knew they were being locked. Four guards took up positions near the balcony doors, swords on their hips and hands hovering above them, waiting. The applause ended and Elsa gathered her resolve. This was it.

"I would like to thank Chancellor Octavius Vickers, most of all, for what he has done for me and Arendelle." Applause erupted again but Elsa continued talking, her voice raising above the noise. "Yes, thank you, for diminishing the strength of our military, leaving the kingdom open to attack and letting crime run rampart in our streets."

The applause immediately stopped and Octavius's entire body froze.

"Thank you, for stripping the freedoms of my people away, one by one, until they can hardly make a move without the monarchy's say so."

The eight men turned around, Field General Snømann and Fleet Admiral Nemo wearing smiles of victory, Octavius looking at her in confusion and the remaining council member's faces twisted into looks of abject fear.

"Your Majesty, what-"

"Thank you," Elsa plowed on, ignoring the chancellor's attempt to speak, "for stealing the hard-earned money of my people and of this country, leaving us with more debt than this kingdom has seen since its founding."

Elsa's voice was steadily growing louder, her emotions ripping free from their restraints, snapping the hold she had on them like weak twine. Her mask had slipped away, revealing the anger that she had kept locked up inside of her for so long.

"And thank you, for locking my sister and me away from the world, not even allowing us to attend our _parent's_ _funereal_! But most of all, thank you, Octavius Vickers," she spat his name out like venom, "for making us stronger than you could have ever imagined."

Elsa's ice-blue eyes bore into Octavius', conveying all the pent up hate she felt for the man.

"We will _not_ be your, or anyone else's, _puppets_!" She jabbed a finger at the group of men. "Guards, seize them!"

A look of confident calm settled over Octavius' face for a split second before the sound of boots against hardwood and swords being drawn from their sheath sent the man into a blind panic. He reacted just as Elsa had hoped. He made to bolt for the doors but she acted first. Elsa waved a hand, her power shooting forth and encasing his legs in ice. The chancellor pitched forward and Elsa waved her other hand, encasing his forearms and hands in ice, freezing him to the floor. She could hear screams and gasps of surprise at her display but remained focused on the group of men as the guards surrounded them, slapping iron manacles on their wrists. She unfroze Octavius so he could receive his own pair.

"Sorcery!"

Elsa lowered her hands and watched as Duke Tudyk pushed his way to the front of the crowed.

"I knew that was something was being kept from me! The Queen is a monster! A monst-eek!"

Elsa saw a flash of green and red as Anna surged past her, flaming sword in hand and stopping in front of the duke, the tip barely an inch from his throat. The duke's bodyguards rushed forward to aid their lord and stopped when two more swords appeared in the air, each tip pointing at their throats.

"You will not speak to the queen in such a manner!" Anna snarled, the tip inching closer to the duke's throat, sweat breaking out on his brow. "My sister is _not_ a monster!"

"Anna! That is enough. I believe the duke has learned his lesson."

"But, Elsa! Did you hear what he called you?!" Anna turned to face her sister, eyes alight with anger.

"I did and it does not matter. I know who I am." Her eyes sought the princess', soft and pleading. "Please, Firefly."

Anna's anger seemed to vanish in an instant. She nodded and backed away from the duke and his men, her swords not vanishing until she was beside her sister again. Elsa stroked the princess' cheek to show that she was not angry at her attempt to defend her honor.

"Thank you." Turning back to the captured group of men, Elsa drew herself up and spoke in a loud, clear voice. "Octavius Vickers, under my authority as Queen, I hereby place you and the members of your 'Council of Eight' under arrest for crimes against Arendelle, her people and the Crown. Take them to the dungeons! Remove the former chancellor from the others presence and place him in his own cell."

The guards saluted and moved to carry out their orders, dutifully ignoring the former chancellor's demands to release him. Elsa then returned her attention back to the crowd, not missing the looks of fear, shock and confusion that some were giving her.

"Lords and Ladies," she began, "I can gather what rumors have been spread about me and my sister but as you can see, they are not true. I am not the naïve and weak-willed queen that many were expecting. I am not going to be manipulated by anyone. If you are visiting my kingdom on business, you will speak with me and the final decision will rest with me. Lord Mayors, return to your cities, contemplate on what you have seen here and ask yourselves where your true loyalties lie. In one month's time, we will convene for an emergency meeting of the Counsel of Lords and you shall stand witness to the trial of Octavius Vickers and his co-conspirators. The party is over, Kai. Please have the guests escorted from the castle."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

The crowd parted as Elsa and Anna walked to the front of the room, the guards unlocking and opening the doors for the two women, bowing in respect. The walk back to their shared room took less time than they thought and before either woman knew it, the door was closing behind them with an audible _click_. This seemed to break whatever spell was over them and they looked at each other, excitement growing in their eyes.

"We did it," Anna whispered.

"We did it," Elsa agreed with a shaky nod.

The excitement continued to grow and Anna's burst forth first. The younger sister grabbed the queen's hands and literally bounced up and down, her voice growing louder until she was shouting.

"We did it! We did it! We did it! _We did it_!"

Her sister's joy was infectious and Elsa soon joined her in the revelries. She scooped up her sister in her arms and swung her around the room, laughing and shouting and screaming until her throat hurt. She finally calmed down, placing Anna on her feet, chest heaving as she took in deep breaths of air.

"We're free, Anna! We're finally, _finally_ free!"

"Free," Anna replied, rolling the word off her tongue, liking the way it sounded. "Free." A thought immediately struck her. "We're going to keep the gates open, right?"

"We are never closing them again."

"Yes!" she squealed. "I could get used to that!"

"That's the plan."

While Anna continued to dance around the room in celebration, Elsa began removing her coronation dress. Once it was placed on the dress mannequin, she removed her crown and carefully set it on top of her vanity. She let her hair down from the bun and made quick work of the braid, sighing in relief as her hair flowed freely down her back. She retrieved her pale blue nightgown from the dresser and pulled it over her head, freeing her hair from the collar. She turned towards her bed and saw it already occupied by Anna, the princess' dress thrown haphazardly on the other bed.

Shaking her head at her sister's impatience, Elsa slid under the covers and into Anna's waiting arms. The strawberry blonde squeezed the new queen tightly.

"We're finally free! We can finally leave our room anytime we want! We can walk around the castle anytime we want! We can do _anything_!"

"I know, Firefly, I know. Now, go to sleep. Tomorrow is going to be even more taxing than today."

"Will you need any help?"

"Mmm, maybe. Sleep first, talk later."

Anna giggled at her sister's obvious drowsiness and pressed a kiss on her forehead after Elsa let loose a long yawn.

"Okay. Goodnight, Snowflake. I love you."

Elsa just hummed in response and Anna decided that was good enough. Snuggling down into the pillows, the princess let her eyes fall closed and was asleep moments later, dreams of roaming the castle's halls with her sister playing through her head the entire night.

(End of Part Two)

* * *

><p>AN: Thank you to those who have read, reviewed, faved and followed. I know the beginning was a little slow to start so hopefully this will make up for that. Also I want to mention that my story is not beta'd by anyone as my normal editor is not a big fan of the Elsanna ship(not going to hold it against her, she's entitled to her opinions after all). So if you see any mistakes I simply missed them in my editing process and I apologize.

P.S.: Made some slight changes. Nothing major though.


	4. The First Step

A Tale of Two Sisters

Part Three: The First Step

By: 3Gs

Elsa looked in annoyance at her side of her and Anna's shared walk-in closet. She had absolutely nothing to wear. It was to be expected though. Throughout their imprisonment, Elsa and Anna had only received new clothes when they outgrew their current ones. And while she was sure that a few of the dresses from her teenage years would still fit her, none of them were what could be considered "regal" dress. They were more for casual wear, for a day when she knew there would be no business to conduct or meetings to attend to. She could wear her coronation dress again but trying to put that on with only one person was a hassle and would take entirely too much time. She could ask Gerda to maybe find something that belong to her mother but that idea vanished as quickly as it came. She wouldn't wear her mother's clothes.

Seeing no other choice, Elsa reached for a dark blue dress and pulled it out of the closet. She walked over to her full body mirror and held it against her. She frowned. This wouldn't do. Not for meeting with visiting dignitaries and being seen by the staff of the castle. She needed to appear more queen-like and not so carefree. Resigning herself to her fate, she put the dress away and retrieved her coronation dress. She shed her sleeping attire and began to pull the clothes on as quickly and quietly as possible. Careful not to wake her sister, she then set herself down at her vanity, fixing her hair until it was done up in the braid and bun she used last night.

After applying some light makeup, Elsa nodded to her reflection in satisfaction. Standing, she started towards the door, stopping momentarily to check on Anna. Her sister was still fast asleep, clutching Elsa's pillow to her body in a death grip. The queen smiled softy and ran a hand through her sister's hair. She'd let her sleep in a little longer. She wouldn't need Anna for a while yet. Turning away she reached the door, hesitating for only a second before turning the handle and pulling it open. Kai stood on the other side, fist raised to knock. His look of surprise melted into a smile and he brought his hand down.

"Ah, Your Majesty, good morning. I just about to wake you."

"Thank you, Kai. And good morning."

She closed the door and the ever-faithful steward fell in step beside her. He glanced back at the door.

"Are we not going to rouse the princess?"

Elsa shook her head.

"No. I thought I would let her sleep in a little bite more. She will not be terribly busy for a while so I want her to enjoy it as much as possible."

"Very well, Your Majesty. Will you be taking your breakfast in the dining hall this morning?"

Elsa couldn't help but smile. First day freed from her confinement and already Kai was looking to establish a routine for her.

"No. Not today at least. I will take it in my father's...in _my_ study. I need to get started on fixing what Octavius broke. Please bring me anything and everything he signed into law or he was preparing to sign into law. I also need any pending documents that were awaiting his signature as well as a list of the laws he had changed or altered."

"Very well, Your Majesty." They stopped in front of the study doors. "Anything else before I take my leave?"

"Yes, two things, actually. Anna and I need some clothing. It is not a priority but I would like some as soon as possible. I cannot wear my coronation dress forever."

"I'll see that Gerda is notified immediately. Blue and green as per usual?"

"You know us to well, Kai."

"Part of my job description, Your Majesty." Elsa gave him a grateful smile and turned the knob when Kai cleared his throat. "What was the other thing, Queen Elsa?"

Elsa hesitated, her grip tightening on her handle and her entire frame trembling slightly. She took a deep, calming breath, then let it out slowly.

"I wish to have my things moved to the Royal Suite. I am the queen now. I suppose it is time I started acting like it."

Kai bowed.

"Very well, my Queen." He paused "Princess Anna is not going to like this."

"I know," Elsa said with a sad smile. "Hopefully I will be able to calm her before she burns the castle down. Send her to me when she wakes up. I suspect she will have a few words to exchange with me."

"No doubt. I shall take my leave then."

Elsa nodded her thanks and slipped into the study, closing the door behind her. She took a look around the room and was pleased to see that nothing had been change about it. Everything was just as she remembered it from her youth. It was obvious that the room was still cleaned and Kai - God bless his foresight - had kept the only key to the study, effectively keeping Octavius out of the room and away from the Royal Seal. Without the seal, Elsa knew that, on a legal level, everything that Octavius had done for the past three years was illegal and reversible. Nobody, not even her backstabbing lord mayors, could challenge the matter. The law was clearly in Elsa's favor. Walking over to the large mahogany desk, Elsa lightly ran her fingers over the polished surface.

She remembered the many times that she and Anna would barge into this very room without knocking, running up to their father as he sat at this very desk, pen in hand and parchments stacked neatly on the desktop. He would always look up with a smile, finishing whatever he was writing and set the pin back into the inkwell, gathering them both into his lap and letting them watch him as he worked, answering any questions they asked him. It was in this room that Elsa learned two of her most important lessons.

The first had been proven last night when Octavius had tried to run and leave his co-conspirators behind. The second one had been about the kingdom. More precisely, how she was supposed to rule it. She remembered that conversation. She had just turned thirteen at the time.

_"How do I rule the kingdom?" King Agdar looked across his desk at Elsa. She was sitting in one of two chairs, hands folded neatly in her lap, back straight. "That's a strange question to ask. Why do you want to know?"_

_ "I am to rule one day, am I not? Arendelle has been peaceful under your care. I want to know how you did it so I can do the same."_

_ The king smiled at his daughter._

_ "There isn't exactly an instruction book that tells you what to do. Every ruler has his or her own trials to get through as well as his or her own way of ruling the country. You simply have to do the best you can and hope it turns out alright."_

_ Elsa was not deterred. She leaned forward, looking her father in the eye. "But how did _you_ do it?"_

_ The king thought for a moment before deciding on an answer._

_ "Guidance, not control."_

Elsa had not completely understood what her father had meant at the time. But after her imprisonment and hearing about what Octavius was doing to her country and her people, she understood what her father had meant. Guide them so they could better their lives and themselves and refrain from controlling everything that they do, least they become dependent on the Crown for every little thing.

Octavius had been moving towards complete control, if the reports she had received over the years held any indication. And for the most part, he succeeded. There was hardly a person in all of Arendelle that was not affected by that man's policies. It made the queen's blood boil. Her people were becoming lazy and her country was weaker than it had ever been before. All so he and his cohorts could grab as much gold and power as they could get. Her hand slammed down on the desk in anger and ice spikes erupted form the surface. Immediately regretting her action, she dismissed the ice with a flick of her wrist, leaving noting behind.

She had to fix this, no doubt about that, she just didn't know if she had the patience to wait until the trial to do it. Normally, a regent did not have the absolute powers of a monarch but since Octavius had her councilors and the lord mayors in his back pocket, there was no one in the entire kingdom that tried to stop him.

_What can I do about that?_ The young queen mused to herself, taking a seat at the large desk. _How do I legally and justly punish all my council members while keeping my image as a fair ruler?_

The new queen was pulled from her inner musings by a knock at the study's door. She bid them enter and Kai walked in, his arms full of several bound stacks of parchment and a platter of food on top of them. He expertly deposited both on the desk then stepped back, waiting for further instructions.

"You never cease to amaze me, Kai." Elsa eyed the large stacks of parchment warily. "This is everything?"

"It is, Your Majesty."

"I never expected it to be so much. God, what has this man done to my kingdom?!"

"It is nothing that I'm sure you cannot fix. I have faith in you, Queen Elsa."

"Thank you." Elsa chewed on her bottom lip before deciding to broach the proposal she had been thinking about to her loyal steward. "Kai, I have a proposition for you, if you would hear me out."

The elder man straightened slightly.

"Of course, Your Majesty."

"I know I have a lot of work to do as far as restoring my kingdom to what it was under my father. That process in itself will take time and I hardly know where to start. But there is something that I know I can do right now to help with the process, create a starting point as it were. I am going to rebuild my council of advisors. But first and foremost, I want you to be my chancellor."

Whatever Kai had been expecting, this was not it if the utter shock on his face was any indication. He stood there, gaping at the queen for a few moments before he collected himself.

"Your Majesty, I...I'm not sure what to say. I'm honored, of course, but are you sure that you would not want me to find someone more qualified for this position?"

Elsa smiled at her faithful steward. Ever the humble servant, Kai could not see just how much he had done for her and Anna during their imprisonment.

"Kai, there is no one else that I consider more qualified for this than you. Everything you did for me and Anna, the information you smuggled in for us and your unwavering loyalty has made you one of the few people that I absolutely trust in this kingdom right now. And I need people I can trust to be on my council. Please, my friend, will you accept the position?"

Elsa sat almost literally on the edge of her seat, anxiously waiting for Kai to make his decision. She was silently praying to God and all His angles that he would take the position. After what seemed to be an eternity to the new queen, Kai nodded with a smile.

"If that is the queen's wish, then I humbly accept."

Elsa couldn't stop herself. Letting loose a squeal of happiness, she leapt from her chair and threw her arms around the portly steward, squeezing him tightly.

"Thank you! Thank you so much, Kai."

The older man brought his arms around the queen, giving her an affectionate squeeze.

"You're welcome, child."

Elsa gave him one more squeeze and let go, sitting at the desk and pulling out two sheets of parchment from a drawer. She uncapped an inkwell and took a pen from a holder. Dipping the tip in the ink, she put it to the parchment and began to write quickly but neatly. Once finished she put down the pen and opened another drawer, glad that she remembered where her father had kept his supplies. She removed a stick of red wax, the Royal Seal and a small candle and matches. Lighting the candle, she held the wax stick over it and when the tip began to melt, she let the wax drip onto the bottom of the parchment.

When a sufficient amount of wax had pooled, she pressed the Royal Seal into the red liquid and blew lightly onto it, solidifying the wax instantly. Signing her name with a final flourish, Elsa stood and handed the now notarized and official document to the waiting steward.

"It is done. On my authority as Queen of Arendelle, I hereby name you, Kai Anderson, Chancellor to the Crown and the Second Hand of the Queen."

The newly appointed chancellor took the document with a bow and rolled it up.

"Thank you for this tremendous honor, Your Majesty. I will see this brought to the Royal Archives immediately."

"Very well. Return here once finished. There are many things we must do and I want to start as soon as possible."

With another bow, Kai left the study. Sitting back down, Elsa dipped the pen in the inkwell again and began writing on the second piece of parchment. She signed her name but held off on notarizing it. That would come after she had a talk with her sister. The door opened again as she set the parchment aside and Kai reentered, sitting down at one of the chairs across from Elsa.

"Where shall we start, my Queen?"

Elsa looked at the mountain of parchments and shook her head slowly.

"I don't think there is really a place to _start_. Let's just pick a pile and go from there. We'll place similar things together as we find them."

"Very well."

The two grabbed a piece of parchment from their nearest stack respectively and set to work. The study soon became filled with the sounds of shuffling parchment, disgusted grunts from Kai and the occasional muttered curse from Elsa, all the while the soft ticks of the grandfather clock continued in the background. When she finally placed the last piece of parchment into its corresponding pile, Elsa let out a sigh of relief, stretching her arms above her head and feeling several bones pop back into place. She slumped back against the high back chair, letting herself relax for a few moments.

"Are you alright, Your Majesty?"

Elsa set ramrod straight at the sound of Kai's voice, having momentarily forgotten he was in the room with her.

"I'm fine," she squeaked, her cheeks turning a deep crimson. "What about you, Kai? Do you need to take a break?"

"No need, Your Majesty. I believe that we are done here."

Elsa looked at the desk and saw that the mountain of parchments that Kai had brought in were now in five neat stacks.

_That...did not take as long as I thought. How long have we been here anyway?_

Her question was answered when the grandfather clock chimed three times. The queen's eyes went comically wide. Three o'clock! She and Kai had been sitting here since eight!

"Kai! Why didn't you tell me we had been here for seven hours? I would have at least let you break for lunch!"

"Do not concern yourself, Your Majesty," he said with a kind smile. "I may be getting on in the years but I am still made of rather tough stock. A missed lunch is not going to kill me." A small gurgle came from the man's stomach and he let out a good-humored chuckle. "Although I will not say no to a late one."

"By all means, Kai. I will be taking a short break myself soon."

"Very well."

The new chancellor rose from his seat and picked up the now empty tray of food that the queen had absently munched on during their work. Elsa saw what he was doing and made to stop him but Kai simply shook his head.

"It's all right, Your Majesty, I don't mind."

"But it's not your job anymore," Elsa argued.

"True. But habits are hard to break. However, Your Majesty, you will be happy to know that I have been training a protégé to take my place after I retire. If you wish, I can have him take over my former position starting tomorrow."

"I will leave it in your capable hands, Kai. I would also like an audience with them so that I may familiarize myself with the person who is taking over your duties."

"I will see that it is done, Your Majesty."

With a final bow, Kai swept out of the room, leaving Elsa alone with the fruits of their labors. She eyed four of the stacks in front of her with disgust, each one representing the damage done to her kingdom.

_Documents pending, laws added, laws altered and Royal Decrees..._

Elsa had not read each individual document - that would have taken a week by the looks of it - but a quick scan had told her where they belonged. Looking away before she froze them solid and smashed them to pieces, the queen picked up the fifth, and much smaller, stack of parchments. These were all letters that had been addressed to the regent. They started roughly a year after Octavius seized power and they were not nice. Elsa had to wonder what made the former regent keep all the letters. Was there some sort of perverse pleasure he got from seeing just how much the people hated him? Elsa shuddered at the thought.

Though one or two of the letters he kept were from different people, most of them were from a single person who had begun writing to him a year into the regency and stopped close to a year ago. Unlike the other letters that were noting but glorified hate mail, these were very articulate and pointed out very clearly what limited powers of a regency that Octavius was violating, even going so far as to threaten his removal by the people as was their right and duty should he not cease and desist his actions. By the last letter, the regent had been informed that a large number of the citizenry were ready to carry out their duty and place Elsa on the throne prematurely in order to stop his destructive policies.

It was obvious by her current situation that nothing had come of those threats and Elsa couldn't help but wonder why. The obvious answer would be that Octavius did something to put down impending revolt since none of the reports that Kai had brought her said anything about citizens rioting in the streets. As for the letter writer he was either dead or imprisoned in the castle dungeons. Elsa was really hoping that it was the latter. The man's knowledge of the law was astounding. If he was still alive and he agreed to her offer then she was intending on making him her new Keeper of the Laws. She pulled out one of his letters, scanning to the bottom and found his name.

"Kristoff Bjorgman." The name sparked something in her mind. She bit her lower lip and tapped a well-manicured nail against the mahogany desktop. "Bjorgman...Bjorgman... Where have I heard that name before?"

Placing the stack of letters aside, she glanced at the other four stacks. When her eyes landed on the documents pending pile, she reached for it on instinct, carefully scanning though its contents. She found it halfway through the stack, an execution order for Kristoff Bjorgman to be carried out at the regent's discretion. Crimes were many and included disturbing the peace, inciting a violent mob, rebellion against the Crown and treason against the Crown. Until the day of execution he was to be house in solitary confinement at Frozen Fractal Keep.

Elsa furrowed her brows in confusion.

"Frozen Fractal Keep? I've never heard of this befo-"

"Elsa!"

The study doors burst open and banged against the wall, Anna's loud voice almost echoing down the halls. Taking the queen completely by surprise, and scaring her witless, Elsa jumped to her feet and lashed out at the noise with her magic, an ice spike flying at Anna's head. The projectile shattered in between them after her sister threw one of her fireballs at it, both powers negating each other in midair. When she realized who was standing in her doorway, Elsa leaned on the desk and released a breath.

"Anna," she groaned in mild irritation. "You scared me to death!"

The princess ignored her sister and marched up to the platinum blonde, face scrunched up in anger, braids bouncing with each heavy step and her pale green dress fluttering as she walked. Elsa straightened up just in time to have a finger pointed in her face and her sister's eyes inches from her own. And boy, oh boy, was she mad.

"You!" Anna nearly screamed in her face. "You didn't wake me up this morning! You let me sleep past midday and started working without me! Not only that, there wasn't a single person in this entire castle that could tell me where you were! I've been searching this entire palace for you for almost an hour! Do you have any idea how worried I've been?! How _lonely_ I was?!"

The fire died in Anna's eyes and her finger fell away from Elsa's face, coming to rest by her side. Tears pooled in the princess' turquoise eyes and her shoulders began to slightly shake.

"How...how..._scared_ I was...?" The princess hiccupped and the tears finally slid down her cheeks. "I'd thought...I'd thought that...maybe some of Octavius' goons had...had gotten you!"

The queen's heart clenched at the sight of her sister crying. She hated seeing her sister so upset, epically when she was the one who inadvertently caused it. Anna should be happy and smiling. It suited her so much better.

"Oh, Anna," Elsa cooed, gathering the princess into her arms and wiping away her tears. "I'm sorry, Firefly. I didn't mean to upset you. I just wanted to get a head start on a few things before you woke up."

Anna looked at Elsa and pouted angrily.

"You said that you would let me help."

Elsa smiled tenderly at her sister. She knew that Anna was trying to be cross with her but the face she was making did not install any kind of fear in Elsa. It just made her sister all the more adorable. Now, as before, Elsa found herself resisting the urge to pinch her sister's chubby cheeks like she did when they were younger. Even at eighteen, Anna kept some of her more childish features, emotionally as well as physically.

"I did say that, didn't I?" Elsa reached behind her and held out a sheet of parchment. "And I meant every word of it."

Anna took the parchment and read it, her eyes widening as she read every line. When she was finished, she looked up at Elsa, her mouth hanging open. She tried saying something, her mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water. When that didn't work she snapped it shut and just stared at the parchment again. Finally, after five minutes of silence, she looked her sister in the eye and said the first thing that popped in her mind.

"Really?" Anna squeaked.

"The lady speaks," Elsa teased. Anna pouted again and the queen couldn't stop the small giggle that slipped through her lips. "Sorry. But seriously, yes, really. I want you to be my Master of the Purse, Anna. I do not trust anyone else but you to hold this position. And before you even ask, yes, you are more than qualified for the position. Watching you work with the ledgers for three years proved that to me."

"I don't...I don't know what to say."

"I'm hoping that you will say yes."

"Of course! Of course I will! Say yes that is."

"I'm glad." Elsa went back to her desk and heated the wax stick again. After it pooled on the paper, she stamped it with the Royal Seal. "All done. On my authority as Queen, I hereby name you, Princess Anna of House Arundel, Master of the Purse and First Hand of the Queen."

Anna couldn't think of any words to articulate her thanks so she settled for throwing her arms around her sister and squeezed as tight as she could. Elsa couldn't help but smile at her sister's exuberance. She returned the hug and let out a mental sigh of relief. Two down and four to go. They separated just as Kai returned, noting the smiles on both their faces and the parchment in the princess's hands.

"I take it Princess Anna accepted?"

"She did. And now that you're here, I can properly introduce you."

"But, Elsa, I already know Kai," Anna said in confusion. "Why would I need to be introduced to him?"

"A simple formality," the queen replied with a smile. "Anna, this is Kai Anderson, my Chancellor and Second Hand of the Queen."

Anna's eyes lit up.

"You made Kai your chancellor?" At Elsa's nod, Anna whooped in excitement and threw her arms around the former steward. "Congratulations, Kai! You're perfect for the job!"

Kai patted the princess's back. "Thank you, Your Highness. I look forward to working with you."

"Me as well." Anna's face scrunched up in confusing and she turned to her sister. "Elsa, why are there numbers in out titles?"

"Order of succession," the queen answered. "As the ruling monarch, I am, by default, the head of the council. If for whatever reason I should become indisposed - sickness, diplomatic trips, hosting foreign dignitaries, etcetera - my First Hand would conduct business in my stead. Normally the chancellor would take that role but since another member of the royal family is on the council as well, you hold the position as First. Kai will be next in line should the both of us be unavailable for whatever reason. The position of Hands are reserved for the two people that the ruling monarch trusts most with their life and their kingdom."

Anna seemed to take the information in and ponder on it, her eyes becoming wide when she understood their meaning. Elsa could see her sister getting ready to list all the reasons she was not fit for the position as First and decided to head her off before she got started.

"I already know what you're going to say, Anna, so don't. If I didn't think you could handle this position, I would not have appointed you to it. Royal blood or not. Just accept the responsibilities and come to me if you need anything. I'll help you with anything you need."

"Okay. Yeah, okay, I can do that."

"Good. But don't worry too much, you won't officially start your job right now. With the upcoming trial, the Royal Ledger has been confiscated as evidence so we have time to prepare you for your duties. But there are other matters that we must attend to."

"Like what?"

Elsa picked up the execution order and handed it to Kai. "Have you heard of this Frozen Fractal Keep?"

Kai read over the order then shook his head. "I cannot say that I have. Octavius kept many secrets and after the castle staff was reduced the spymaster lost a lot of his contacts within these halls. But there are those who would know."

"Forget it!" Anna snapped. "Those lying bastards would never tell us anything unless it got them out of that dungeon!"

"Quite true, Your Highness. But I know of two people down there who would be more than willing to 'spill the beans' as it were."

Anna was confused for a moment then realization dawned in her eyes.

"Oh! The admiral and the general!"

Elsa nodded. "That's right. They still supported us and remained on the council in order to monitor Octavius. Hopefully, they know something concerning this secrete prison."

"Then why are they in prison with the rest of them?"

"For show," Elsa admitted. "When the trial gets underway, Snømann and Nemo will testify against Vickers and show their loyalty to me. The result of this will be twofold. It will humiliate Vickers in front of the lord mayors and it will also show my vassals that I have the loyalty of the leaders of my army and navy. This will hopefully deter them from any thoughts of ignoring my rule."

"I see." Anna's face scrunched up in disgust. "I don't like it."

"Its political theater, Anna, and I detest it as much as you do. But if I want to stay one step ahead of my court, I have to participate in it."

"If I may be so bold, Your Majesty, why are you so interested in finding out about this prison? Besides the obvious, of course."

"I believe that the man on the execution order would make a fine Keeper of the Laws. I have several notes from him, each one citing the restrictions in power that Octavius was overstepping and how the people could remove him through the very laws that he was abusing. I have a suspicion that Octavius threw him in the prison to keep him from causing the people to rise up. He was probably going to have him executed publically as a warning to the rest of the citizenry."

Anna made a barely contained noise of disgust and Kai just nodded gravely.

"That does seem to fit with his way of doing things, brute force and intimidation. All the signs of a tyrant. At any rate, what will you do now, Your Majesty?"

"I will go to the castle dungeons and speak to Snømann and Nemo, find out if they know anything about the prison. In the meantime, Kai, I need you to find the former Minister of Justice and see if he would like to resume his position."

The chancellor bowed. "I'll see to it at once, Your Majesty. I'll also send a guard to escort you to the dungeon."

"Thank you."

Kai nodded and took the parchment from Anna to add to the Royal Archives.

"I'm going with you."

Elsa blinked in surprise at her sister's sudden deceleration. "I think I'll be fine, Anna. I'm just going to the dungeon."

The strawberry blonde shook her head. "You're not convincing me otherwise, Elsa. You really scared me this morning with your disappearing act and I don't plan on letting you out of my sight today if I can help it."

Elsa almost told her sister that she was being silly but after thinking about it for a second, she changed her mind. Anna had a good reason to be fearful of her safety. It was only their first day of freedom and even though Octavius had been captured and jailed, there was no doubt that he still had supporters within the castle walls. Fortunately those guarding Octavius were loyal to her and Anna but they were few and far between. She would need to talk with her spymaster soon. She needed to weed out those still loyal to the former chancellor before they did something drastic.

"Okay, you can come with me, Anna."

"Thank you."

A Royal Guard arrived moments later, asking for the two sisters to come with him. The sisters followed the guard down several familiar halls, each woman recalling the various amounts of trouble they would get into when they got bored. One of Anna's favorite memories was a race between her on a bike and Elsa using her ice powers to create a trail of ice down the hallway and turning her shoes into ice skates. It had ended in disaster when Anna had gotten to close to her sister's ice trail, lost control and crashed into a suit of armor, resulting in their being separated on opposite sides of the castle for a week. They never tired racing again, at least when their parents were around.

They were finally taken down a corridor that neither recognized with a single door at the end of the hallway. Past the threshold the walls gave way from the warm, white wood of the halls to cold, grey stone of the dungeon. Anna immediately reached for Elsa's hand as they walked down the tightly wound staircase, the sound of dripping water and the waves from the fjord echoing in the small space.

The guard brought them to a large steel door with a small viewing window at eye level. He unlocked the cell and pulled the door aside, nodding for the two royals to enter. Elsa nodded and told him not to close the door. The guard complied and stood in front of the open cell instead, his back to the two sisters. Anna immediately dropped her sister's hand once inside the cell, folding them in front of her.

The two men in the cell looked up from their positions on their cots and rose to their feet, the shackles around their wrists attached to the floor, giving them just enough room to stand. The two men bowed with as much dignity as their tattered prison attire would allow them. Once straightening up they stood at attention, waiting for their queen to address them.

Nemo was an imposing man, six foot tall with black hair and a neatly trimmed beard, the slightest touches of grey starting to appear. His life as a sailor kept him in extremely good shape, his muscles now visible without the constricting uniform he would always wear. He was in no way a hulking mass but he was fit, obviously continuing to exercise even after obtaining a leadership position. Mikhail, on the other hand, seemed to have stepped right out of the pages of one of the epic pomes that Elsa liked to read. He was massive, towering over Nemo at seven foot, black hair, wolf-blue eyes and so much muscle mass that Elsa was sure that he had to turn sideways and duck just so he could enter a room.

"Oh wow..." Anna whispered beside her, clearly awed by the man's impressive physique.

"Anna!" the queen admonished.

"There's no harm, Your Majesty," Mikhail said, knowing the princess was staring at him. His deep voice rumbled throughout the small cell. "This happens more often than you might think."

"I-I see." Elsa cleared her throat, slipping into her regal mask. "Gentlemen, I will be blunt. This is not a social call, I am here to obtain information and I hope that the two of you will be forthcoming in sharing it. This may be the only chance you have to put yourselves in my good graces."

Elsa let a small amount of anger seep into her voice as she spoke to the two men. She had to maintain the image of an indignant queen in case Octavius or the other ex-councilors heard her while she was in the dungeons. As long as they believed that Snømann and Nemo were not in league with her, it would make them look all the more foolish.

"What is it you wish to know, Your Majesty?" Nemo asked.

"I want to know the location and purpose of Frozen Fractal Keep."

The two men looked at each other and Nemo nodded to Mikhail, deferring the explanation to him.

"Frozen Fractal Keep," Mikhail began, "at its very core is nothing but a prison used to house all of Vickers' political enemies. Anyone and everyone who he felt threatened his rule as regent was sent there. And to my knowledge, none have ever come back from it."

"How long has it been in operation?"

"Construction began on it a month after Vickers seized power. It was completed and began functioning six months later. I was in charge of its construction and the stationing of men there. Even after the cuts in our military forces, I was ordered to make sure the Keep was fully garrisoned at all times. I have been doing that for three years."

"Where is it located?"

"North Mountain, almost an hour's ride past the Arendelle Wall."

"And what happens to the prisoners who are sent there?"

At this Mikhail's posture stooped and he shook his head sadly.

"That, I do not know, Your Majesty. Even though I supply the troops when needed, command of them is taken out of my hands and they are granted immunity to all laws. Vickers personally selected a warden to run the keep and command of the troops are turned over to him. I am not even privy to the fates of the prisoners. All of that is handled by the warden and he reports directly to Vickers."

Elsa resisted the urge to bite a nail. This was more disturbing than she feared. A prison completely outside the jurisdiction of not only the military but of the justice system as well. And all so Octavius could keep his position as regent safe. God in Heaven, how many people had he sent to that place? How many innocents had their lives destroyed in the three years he was in control? How many families had been ripped apart? Elsa suddenly felt sick to her stomach and almost lost what little food she had consumed that morning. But she forced the swirling feelings inside her gut down, refusing to look weak in front of not only the two men but her sister as well.

"I see. Thank you for the information," she said after regaining her composure. "We are done here."

The two sisters walked out of the cell and before the door was closed, Nemo called out to the Queen.

"Your Majesty, if I may?"

Elsa turned and regarded the former fleet admiral with a cool stare.

"Speak your peace."

"What is to become of us, now that we have given you what you came for?"

"You will remain here. In one month you will stand trial along with Vickers and the other council members for crimes against Arendelle and the Crown. There you will be able to prove your innocence and loyalty to me and the kingdom."

Nemo nodded, accepting her answer, expecting it even.

"Then, before you leave, Your Majesty, may I ask something of you to help with our defense when the time comes?"

"You may."

"On the day before the trial, will you contact the captains of our two galleons, the first mate of the _Nautilus_ and the adjutant to the field general and relay a message to them."

"What would you have me tell them?"

"All that glitters is gold. They will understand."

"Very well."

Turning away, the guard closed and locked the door, guiding the queen and princess out of the dungeons. Once back to the main floor, the sisters returned to the study and were surprised to find Kai and another man waiting for them. The man with Kai was only an inch or so taller than the chancellor, a shaggy mop of black hair on his head that he had tried unsuccessfully tried to make presentable. He wore a simple white tunic that, while clean, was stained and lightly threadbare and a pair of black trousers and worn brown boots. His arms were muscled and hands calloused, signaling to Elsa that he worked extensively with his hands.

"Ah, Your Majesty, Your Highness, welcome back," Kai said with a slight bow. "May I present to you Jobjørn Snømann."

The man turned and bowed to the sisters.

"You Majesty, Your Highness, thank you for seeing me on such short notice."

"Mister Jobjørn is the son-in-law of your father's former Minister of Justice and I'm afraid he has some unfortunate news."

"Your Majesty, I understand that you wished for my father-in-law to resume his post as Minister of Justice."

Elsa nodded. "That is correct."

"I'm afraid that I must tell you that my father-in-law, Geppetto, died a year ago. He is in a better place now."

Elsa's heart went out to the man. She and Anna both knew what he must have been going through.

"I am sorry for your loss. You have my sympathies."

"Thank you, Your Majesty. He was a good man and will be sorely missed."

"Yes he will. If I may ask, if Minister Geppetto has passed, then why are you here? Will you be taking over his duties?"

Jobjørn let out a hearty laugh and waved a dismissing hand.

"Pardon me, Your Majesty, but I am the most unqualified person to take on the position. I'm just a simple blacksmith. I'm good with my hands, not so much so my mind. My wife, on the other hand, would be more suitable but she plans to take over the law firm her father started before he became Minister. No, I'm here to introduce the one that Minister Geppetto wanted to take his place after his passing."

Anna looked around in confusion. "But you're the only one here."

Jobjørn let out a sigh. "Yes, this is true. I apologize, Your Majesty, but do you have a library anywhere near here?"

"I do."

"Could you perhaps take me there? You'll no doubt find your candidate there was well. He has an almost unnatural ability to find books no matter where he goes."

"Very well." Elsa motioned for the blacksmith to follow her and the group left the study, heading for the library.

They came to a slightly open door and Elsa paused in front of it. Her nerves already on high from the knowledge that someone was running unchecked through her home, she slowly pushed the door the rest of the way open, her ice magic thrumming underneath her skin. The sight that met her made her eyes widen in surprise. Every book that the library held was on the floor in several neat stacks. But what surprised the young queen the most was the pair of legs that were dangling on the back of the settee. She heard Jobjørn sigh and the blacksmith walked past Elsa and into the library, coming to stand between the settee and fireplace. The two sisters and Kai followed him and Anna let out a small giggle when she saw a young man hanging upside down off the cushion and reading a book.

"Olaf."

"Hey, Dad!" the voice chirped from behind the thick book. "This place is amazing! How did you find it? Did you know that they have the latest volume of _A History of Arendelle_? I can't find past volume five at any of the other places I've been."

Smiling apagogically, Jobjørn plucked the book from his son's hands, revealing a _very_ young-looking face, dark brown eyes, almost black, and messy black hair. The eyes blinked in confusion and flicked back and forth between the people in the small group.

"Wait, what am I looking at right now? Why are you hanging off the earth like a bat?"

Jobjørn grunted as he grabbed his son like he weighed nothing and flipped him right-side up then placed him back on the settee.

Olaf blinked then smiled wide.

"Thanks, Dad! That's much better." The black-haired man jumped to his feet then swooned when the blood rushed to his head. He flopped back onto the cushions and road out his dizzying spell "Whoa! Head rush!"

"Are you alright?" Anna asked.

"Yep," he said, popping back to his feet. "Never better!"

"Olaf, son, do you remember where we are?

"Yeah, why?"

"Do you remember why we're here?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Do you know who these two ladies are?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Then shouldn't you introduce yourself?"

"Oh! Right, okay then." Olaf turned to Anna and Elsa. "Hi, everyone, my name's Olaf Snømann! Pleased to meet you!"

Jobjørn groaned and covered his eyes with a hand. Anna couldn't help the small giggle that escaped her. She liked Olaf, he was funny. Her giggling abruptly stopped when something Olaf said registered in her mind.

"Olaf, did you say your last name was Snømann?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Are you related to Mikhail Snømann?"

Olaf's eyes widened and a smile split his face.

"Oh! Do you know Marshmallow?"

"Marshmallow?" Elsa asked, confused.

"Yeah, Marshmallow! That's my nickname for my little brother Mikhail!"

"You little brother?!" Anna's eyes nearly bulged out of her head. "Just how old are you anyway?"

"Thirty. But so is Marshmallow. He was born nine months after me. We're Irish twins!"

While Anna was talking to the animated man in front of them, Elsa was busy berating herself for her absentmindedness. How did she not see what was so plainly in front of her? She should have made the connection when Kai introduced Jobjørn to her. Her mind was probably overloaded with all that she had done and learned today but that was no excuse. She had to be more alert and aware of her surroundings if she was going to present herself as a competent ruler. She would work on sharpening her situational awareness.

Elsa was pulled from her musings when she noticed Olaf's eyes upon her. She quirked an inquisitive eyebrow.

"Yes?"

"So, who are you again?"

Jobjørn groaned, Anna giggled and Elsa stared to worry that Minister Geppetto had made a serious mistake in sending Olaf here.

* * *

><p>Elsa's worrying had been all for nothing in the end. Despite his childish demeanor and stature, looking more like a fifteen-year-old child and not a thirty-year-old man, Olaf proved to be an intellectual genius. He could recall and recite, verbatim, every book he had ever read in his entire life, even all of his children's books. And since his grandfather had trained him as his protégé he knew, understood and could recount the duties of the Minister of Justice. As for executing them, Elsa had been pleasantly surprised when he was capable of doing that as well. She had presented him with a mock scenario of her own design as a sort of test on his abilities. Olaf had thought for a moment then gave his 'ruling' based off the information given to him.<p>

While in court cases the verdict was based off the evidence provided, Elsa knew more often than not that some judges would make a ruling based off their own personal beliefs or an ideology they believed in, completely disregarding the law that they swore to uphold. This type of corruption was another weed that she had to uproot and with Olaf at her side, she believed that it would be possible to an extent. Elsa was not naïve to think that she could solve all of her kingdom's problems overnight. But if she was able to put the rule of law back into place and let everyone know that they would not be able to have the free reign that they had under Octavius then that might be enough to give them pause in their actions. If not then she would need Olaf's help to build a case against the more stubborn ones and get them removed from their positions of power permanently.

She was pulled from her thoughts and blinked in confusion when she opened the door to her room and found only Anna's furniture inside. It took her a few seconds to remember that she had moved into the Royal Suite and her old bed and dresser were now in one of the guest rooms. The queen was suddenly filled with sadness when she realized that this morning was the last time that she would sleep in the same room as her sister. That hurt Elsa more than she was willing to admit. True, she was only around the corner and down the hall but when she thought about it, it felt like they were going to be miles apart. She had to be strong, though. She was queen now, and as queen she had an image to uphold within the castle, making certain actions she was used to doing frowned upon. And sleeping with ones sister at twenty-one years of age would be met with ridicule and bring her ability to rule into question.

Slowly closing the door, Elsa decided to wait by her former room until Anna came back. The princess was giving Olaf a tour of the castle and showing him where his office was located so that he could start work tomorrow. He was given a guest room in the castle until the Justice Manor was prepared and ready for him to move into. Anna seemed to be getting along with Olaf and Elsa could not have been happier. She was excited at the prospect of her sister having a friend besides herself. Anna deserved it. The princess was so outgoing and her sunny disposition was one that deserved to be shared with others, not locked away inside a castle. Though she would have responsibilities as part of her council of advisers, they would not be as numerous as hers. In that retrospect, maybe she could have Anna go out into the city and mingle with the people and reestablish a connection between the Crown and the populous. Elsa was quite sure that right now the monarchy was very unpopular. Given Anna's personality, she might be able to successfully mend that particular bridge.

Elsa liked the idea. She would hold off for now, however. First Octavius had to be taken care of then she could start on the rest. Once the former chancellor's trial was taken care of and she had rebuilt her council of advisers, she would tell them her idea and get their thoughts on it. After she discussed it with Anna, of course. She would never leave her sister in the dark about anything, especially something that involved her directly.

"Elsa!"

The queen looked to see Anna coming her way.

"You didn't have to wait on me," she said once reaching Elsa's side. "I know how tired you must be. You should have gone to bed already."

"It's okay. I needed to talk to you anyway."

"Well, okay then!" Anna reached down and took a hand in hers. "We can talk while we take a bath. God knows I need one!"

Elsa smiled at the prospect of bathing with her sister like normal when she remembered what she was here to do and tried to stop Anna from opening the door.

"No, Anna, wait!"

But it was too late. The princess flung the door open and abruptly stopped at the threshold, dropping her sister's hand. Elsa watched as Anna's face went from excited to confused and then to shocked in the span of three seconds. She looked at Elsa and the queen felt like her heart had been stabbed by one of her ice shards. The amount of pain and betrayal in Anna's eyes hurt her so much.

"Elsa..." The queen flinched. Her sister's voice sounded so broken. "What...what's going on? Where's your furniture?"

"I had them removed, Anna."

"But why?" Elsa almost shut her eyes from the amount of hurt she heard in her sister's voice. "Have you finally gotten tired of being near me all the time?"

"No!" Elsa shook her head furiously. "No, that's not it at all, Anna!"

"Then why?"

Reaching down, Elsa took her sister's hands in her own and gave them and affectionate squeeze.

"Please understand, Anna, I'm the queen now. And because of that, there will be things that are expected of me. I will have to act and behave a certain way, speak in a manner befitting a queen and ruler. I will have responsibilities and duties that far exceed your own and require more of my time. But most of all I will have to maintain an image not only to the people of Arendelle but to the castle staff, the guards and members of my councils. The castle is going to be fully staffed again soon and they will not understand what we have gone through like Kai, Gerda and the rest do. If they were to find out that their queen was still sleeping in the same room as her sister like a small child, they will talk. And that talk will be picked up by those who will not hesitate to use it against me and, God forbid, use it against you.

"So I have to do this. I have to move into the Royal Suite and maintain the image of a proper queen and ruler. Believe me, Anna, I am not happy about this anymore than you are. But it has to be done, no matter how much it will hurt to be away from you. But look." Elsa tugged on her sister's hands and led her around a corner, showing her a doorway at the end of a short hall. "Do you see that? I'm just around the corner if you need me for anything. My door will always be open for you."

Anna looked up at her sister, tears gathering at the corners of her eyes and sadness swirling in their teal depths. But Elsa also saw happiness and understanding as well and it lifted a great weight from her shoulders to know that her sister knew why things had to be this way from now on. Even if she, too, was not happy about it.

"Thank you, Elsa."

"Anything for you, Firefly. Now, it's late and we should retire for the evening. I'll see you in the morning, Anna."

Elsa place a tender kiss on Anna's forehead and bid her goodnight, entering the Royal Suite and closing the door. The silence that greeted her was enough to make her want to throw open the door, damn the consequences and dive into bed with Anna. She restrained herself though. She knew that this was not going to be easy on them and she had to beat down the urge to be near her sister. Taking a calming breath, Elsa quickly undressed and drew herself a bath, the warm water relaxing both her mussels and mind. When she was toughly cleaned and relaxed, she dried herself off and pulled on a pale blue nightgown. She turned down the covers of her bed and crawled in, trying not to think about how her parents used to sleep in this very same bed, in this very room.

Sleep, however, proved to be elusive to the young queen. No matter how she tossed and turned she could not find a comfortable position to lie in. After what felt like hours, she finally flopped back onto her pillows with a huff. She knew what was keeping her awake. It was the absence of a certain warm body that had been with her since childhood. God, this was proving to be harder then she thought. It was like part of her was ripped away and thrown into the either when in reality it was only right down the hall. Although similar to the feeling of being placed on the opposite sides of the castle as punishment when they were children, it was different in that where the punishment would end after a specific amount of time, this situation was permanent. And that just made it hurt all the more.

Slapping her mattress in agitation, Elsa sat up and was ready to throw her covers off and march down to Anna's room and drag her sister back to bed with her when her door opened. She was hardly surprised to see the very person she was thinking about standing in the doorway, hands clutching her green nightgown and teeth worrying her bottom lip.

"Anna?"

"Elsa, I want...that is...I can't...I mean, can I...?"

The queen couldn't help but smile at her sister as she shifted from foot to foot and stumbled over her words. Anna was just too adorable for her own good. Throwing the covers back, Anna needed no further invitation and practically dove into the bed, immediately snuggling up to Elsa. Finally feeling at peace, Elsa got comfortable and pulled Anna closer to her, stroking the strawberry-blonde locks as her sister drifted off into sleep.

She was going to have to wake up extra early in order to get Anna back to her room before anyone came to wake her up. Elsa knew that this could not happen every night. They would eventually get caught no matter how careful they were. But right now, looking at her sister's content face, Elsa could not have cared less. And she knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that if Anna came to her again the next night and the one after, she would not be able to turn her away. And in that moment, she was completely fine with that.

(End of Part Three)

* * *

><p>AN: Back again with another chapter for all my readers out there. Again, thanks to all that have read, reviewed and faved this little story. I can imagine that it is a bit frustrating waiting for an entire month for a new chapter and for all that have patiently waited you have my eternal gratitude. I also want to welcome any and all new readers to this story. Know that I appreciate you taking the time give this a look and I hope it piques your interest. Okay, that's enough outta me. See y'all next month.


	5. The Prince and the Prisoner

A Tale of Two Sisters

Part Four: The Prince and the Prisoner

By: 3Gs

Elsa was not happy. Not in any sense of the word. Two weeks after she had made Olaf her Minister of Justice, the new appointee had gone to his grandfather's old office and began reviewing the Crown's case against the conspirators. At the same time, he started looking over any documents that the minister that Octavius appointed might have ignored. It turned out that he had ignored a lot. Five hundred appeals from lower courts from every city in Arendelle that had been completely ignored by the minister. That meant that five hundred of her citizens' pleas for justice were going unheard and they were either sitting in a prison somewhere or stuck in some sort of legal limbo.

Forget not being happy, Elsa was furious. And what was worse was that, according to Olaf, the sentences that were handed out by the county judges were based more on their own opinion than relative facts, evidence or the law. Elsa's fury threatened to boil over but she desperately reigned it in, not wanting to bury Aust-Agder in snow. Although at this point she was starting to believe everyone in the city, if not the whole kingdom, deserved it. She had no doubt that the corruption would seep into her vassals once they realized that they had free reign in any and all things they controlled. But to learn that it had gone this far and this deep? And that all attempts to stop them had been harshly and swiftly crushed?

"Not even death is good enough for the lot of them," Elsa growled out between clenched teeth.

She was in her study with Kai, staring out the window that was behind her desk, granting her a perfect view of the palace gardens. Anna, thankfully, had not been there to hear her darker thoughts. She was at the front gate with a small contingent of guards waiting for the warden of Frozen Fractal Keep and his prisoner. She had sent word to the prison that she wished to meet with the warden and decide on the fate of Kristoff Bjorgman, all under the guise of it being on orders from Chancellor Octavius. If the warden was as dedicated to the former chancellor as Mikhail had let on then there was no doubt in Elsa's mind that he would not have come otherwise. Fortunately for her, Olaf could also mimic a person's handwriting and mannerisms in letters flawlessly. A useful skill and a dangerous one. Luckily, Olaf was too childish of the mind to realize or understand what he could do with that kind of skill.

"Did you say something, Your Majesty?"

Elsa's back stiffened. She had forgotten that her new chancellor was still there with her.

"No, nothing, Kai." She turned from the window and sat at her desk. "So, how do we go about fixing this? More importantly, can this even be fixed?"

"It can," Kai said, "but it will not be easy. It is obvious that the lower courts are now use to doing things their own way without any resistance from the populace or oversight from the Ministry of Justice."

Elsa resisted the urge to massage her temples in frustration and settled for lacing her fingers and placing her hands on top of the desk.

"That goes without saying. Octavius seemed more interested in weakening this country then trying to rule it in any sort of capacity. Suggestions?"

The chancellor was silent for a few moments until he finally spoke up, almost hesitantly.

"You can always initiate the Purge, Your Majesty. It is your right as queen."

Elsa's back stiffened and her hands tightened their grip on each other. The Purge. She had played with this idea for several days, asking herself if it was the best option. Wondering if it was the only option. But the most important question was, could she do it? Could she shoulder the knowledge that she could potentially end the lives of so many people? Before today she did not think so. But after hearing what the courts had been doing to her people, she was scared to find out that she could call for the Purge today and not lose a bit of sleep over it.

The Purge was an absolute power that was given to and could only be used by the royal family of Arendelle. Using that power the ruling monarch could call for the removal of any of their vassals from their positions of power and by extension anyone within their lands that followed them and have them executed without a trial then appoint new vassals to take their place. Thankfully it was written within the Laws by a previous monarch that this power could only be used once in a ruling monarch's lifetime or they would be removed from power if it was attempted to be used again.

Elsa inhaled then exhaled, gathering her thoughts.

"I will be perfectly honest with you, Kai. I am not totally against the idea of using the Purge. But it scares me. Not because I will be ending the lives of people who have essentially committed treason against me. I am scared because in my state of mind right now, I could do it and it would not bother me in the slightest. And I am also scared of what I will feel after this mentality has passed and I come to realize what I have done."

Kai nodded as if expecting the answer.

"I can understand your trepidation, my Queen. The Purge has weighed heavily on the conscience of many former rulers when they used it. Even Queen Janice, who was known as Janice the Cold, wrote that it weighed heavily on her mind after she used it to execute many of her vassals that conspired to rebel against her."

"I remember reading about her rule. It was one of the more peaceful and prosperous reigns in Arendelle's history. I do not recall reading about a rebellion though."

"It never came to pass," Kai said, taking a seat in front of Elsa. "The Royal Spymaster at that time discovered the plot and brought it to the attention of the queen. She enacted the Purge that same day, presiding over the execution of close to one hundred of her vassals. Outwardly she appeared as she always did, calm and collected. Inside, however, the guilt ate at her. Even though she was justified in her actions it did little to calm her mind. It was recorded that she became even more emotionally detached than before."

Elsa worried her bottom lip. Would that happen to her? Would she just shut down emotionally after witnessing what her ancestor had? She liked to think not. People dealt with traumatizing events in different ways. She wanted to believe that she was strong enough to do what needed to be done and carry one afterwards. But the truth of the matter was that she would not know until it actually happened. And if worst came to worst, and she could not deal with the aftermath, at least she would have Anna to support her. But she feared that even the support of her sister could only go so far.

"You Majesty, if I may?" Kai asked, noticing the queen's distress.

"Go ahead."

"If this course of action truly upsets you this much, maybe we can think of an alternate route to take. Perhaps one were you do not actually use the Purge, simply the idea of it."

"I don't think I follow."

"Fear is a powerful motivator, Your Majesty," Kai explained. "It is the reason that brigands will tend to be large and imposing and pirates will build a reputation underneath a certain flag design. People who fear them will comply with their demands quicker and be less inclined to put up a fight. It is also why tyrants and dictators prefer to rule with fear. The populace will be too afraid to rise up against them."

Elsa thought about what Kai told her. It made sense. Vickers had revealed himself for the coward he was and tried to run when she had asserted her power over him, both authoritatively and magically. If she did the same with the Council of Lords and the city judges, holding the threat of the Purge over them and showing them again that she was not weak, then maybe they could be cowed into obedience.

"You are suggesting that I hold the _threat_ of the Purge over them instead of actually carrying it out, am I right?"

"Indeed, Your Majesty. I believe this will be the best course of action that can be taken so that you may restore order to Arendelle."

Elsa lost herself in her thoughts a moment before bringing her attention back to Kai.

"The idea has merit, Kai. The only worry I have is that my vassals will 'call my bluff' as it were. If that were to happen I fear that I would have no choice but to initiate the Purge. And I honestly do not know if I could handle that kind of burden on my conscience."

"It would be a heavy burden to carry indeed, Your Majesty. But if we are restore Arendelle to its former glory it may be one that you must carry."

Elsa had been hoping that Kai would not say that. She was hoping for an alternative plan or a...or a..._something_! But when faced with the idea of open insubordination and outright defiance against the Crown, what other choice did she have but to exert her authority as queen? She couldn't let her vassals run amuck through the kingdom unchecked. That was what landed Arendelle in the sad shape that it was in.

"Very well. I shall address this matter after the trial. Should my vassals refuse to bend knee to me in fealty then I will use the Purge. I will need a list of nobles still loyal to the Crown to take their place. If this comes to pass, I will need them to take over the responsibilities of their new stations quickly so as to maintain order."

Kai nodded.

"Very well, Your Majesty. I shall see to it immediately. Is there anything else?"

"No, that will be all for now. Thank you, Kai."

The chancellor rose from his seat and bowed, leaving the study. Elsa let out a sigh and leaned back in her chair, finally bringing her fingers up to massage her temples. The Purge. Dear God in Heaven, Elsa hoped she would not have to use it. She pushed it from her mind. There was no use thinking about it now. She would only use it if necessary, an absolute last resort.

Putting the matter aside, Elsa focused on the report that Olaf wrote up for her concerning the appeals. It was extremely detailed, almost too detailed. He had written extensively on why the rulings were unjust and should not have been made at all. Lengthy it may be, Elsa had no doubt that it would come in handy when she sent every appeal back to the judges and demanded that the cases be retired and retried _fairly_ in accordance with the law and not their ideology or political leanings. Hopefully the reemergence of a strict and ever-watchful Ministry of Justice would keep the city judges in line. Otherwise Elsa would have to resort to more...unscrupulous means of intimidation.

A knock at her study door drew her from her thoughts. She quickly straightened her posture and placed her hands on the top of her desk, slipping into what Anna like to call her "Queen mode".

"Enter."

Her study door opened and a young man with brown hair and eyes entered with a slight bow.

"Your Majesty, I hope I'm not disturbing you?"

"Not at all, Christian," she said with a smile. "What is it you need?"

"A Prince Hans of the Southern Isles is seeking an audience with you. He said that he established an appointment with you at your coronation ball. Shall I tell him that you cannot see him?"

Elsa nearly groaned in annoyance. Hans. She had completely forgotten about him. She had been so busy with the mess that Octavius and his cohorts had left behind that the meeting she had agreed to with the foreign prince had completely slipped her mind. And she didn't completely trust him. After seeing him speaking with Octavius at the ball she could not be completely sure that his intentions were pure. She thought about sending him away but decided against it. There had still been no word from Anna about the prisoner's arrival so what was the harm in entertaining the prince for a few minutes. She could always dismiss him when the warden and his entourage arrived, citing matters of the state as her excuse. He'd be hard pressed to try and refuse her dismissal.

"No, send him in. I have some time to spare. Has there been no word from the Princess yet regarding the warden's arrival?"

"Ah, the other reason I am here, Your Majesty. A rider arrived at the castle scant minuets ago bearing a message. Apparently there was an incident at the gate leading into the North Mountain Range where the keep is located and they will be delayed in their arrival at the castle."

A light brown eyebrow rose in question.

"An incident?" Good God, if that warden somehow caused the death of the prisoner, Elsa would kill him on the spot. "What happened?"

"According to the rider the moment they passed through the gate they were accosted by a reindeer."

Elsa stared at Christian, not sure if she had heard him correctly. She cleared her throat, seeking clarification.

"Did you say a reindeer?"

"I did, Your Majesty, and I had almost the same reaction. Apparently the animal was Mister Bjorgman's pet as well as partner in his ice harvesting business and had been waiting at the gate since his incarceration."

Elsa thought she would fall out of her chair. She was beyond astounded. Such a loyal beast that man had, for it to wait almost a whole year for its master to return.

_If only my vassals were that loyal,_ the queen inwardly lamented.

"When the reindeer refused to leave the guards alone, the warden ordered it killed. That is when things became interesting to say the least. The prisoner broke free of his bonds and proceeded to beat his entire escort into unconsciousness. He then sent the first man who woke up to the castle with a message for the queen."

"He _stayed_?" Elsa tried to not sound surprised but it was hard to do. A lesser man would have run off at the first opportunity. This man's integrity was surprisingly strong. "He didn't try to escape?"

Christian nodded. "According to the rider, Mister Bjorgman has requested to appear before the Court of the Queen. He wishes to bring his case before you directly and forgo a trial."

Elsa could not stop the smile if she tried.

"Then he shall have it. How long before I should expect their arrival?"

"I was informed that they would arrive at the castle within the hour. Princess Anna has sent the contingent of guards she was with back to their posts and to return with her to the gate in an hour's time."

Elsa felt her heart swell in her chest. Could her sister be any more amazing?

"Very well. Pleas escort Prince Hans to the study. I will speak with him before the prisoner arrives. Also, inform Princess Anna that when the escorts arrive with the prisoner only he and the warden are to be allowed inside the castle, the keep guards will remain in the courtyard."

"Understood, Your Majesty. What should I tell the princess if she asks of your whereabouts?"

"Inform her of my meeting with Prince Hans and that I will speak to her afterwards."

"Yes, Your Majesty. By your leave."

After Elsa's slight nod, Christian bowed and left the study to carry out his tasks. Kai certainly knew what he was doing when he chose his protégé. Christian was just as good as his mentor if not better. It should not have been surprising, he was Kai's son after all. Elsa had not only been surprised at learning this but also learning that the Anderson family had a long history of serving the Arundel royal family, a tradition that Christian was all too happy to keep alive.

A knock at the door minutes later signaled Christian's return and Prince Hans' arrival. Elsa bid the prince to enter. Hans entered and bowed to the queen.

"Thank you for seeing me, Queen Elsa."

"Of course, Prince Hans." She motioned to a chair and the prince sat down. "Allow me to apologize for the length of your wait."

"No need, Your Majesty. I can only assume the aftermath of your coronation has kept you busy."

"Indeed." Elsa brought her hands on top of her desk and laced her fingers. "I will not mince words, Prince Hans. It has come to my attention that my kingdom already has a trade agreement with yours. Therefore, I do not see the point in negotiating another one."

"You are correct, Queen Elsa. The Southern Isles does indeed have a trade agreement with Arendelle. I misspoke at the coronation and it is solely my fault. It comes with my inexperience in conducting foreign business arrangements. I hope you will not hold that against my kingdom and still allow me to speak my peace."

"It takes a strong man to admit his mistakes. Especially one of the royal blood. You have my respect for admitting yours. You may still tell me of this trade agreement you spoke of."

"Thank you, Your Majesty," his said with a slight incline of his head. He pulled several sheets of parchment from a leather binder and passed them to the queen. "This is the official agreement that was drawn up for me to deliver. You may read over it, of course, but I can give you a general idea of what my kingdom is proposing."

"Go ahead."

"Under this agreement, Arendelle will be primarily trading with my island, Samarkand, and not in any way interfere with any other trade agreements that are in effect with the Kingdom of Arendelle and the Southern Isles as a whole."

Elsa blinked then held up a hand to stop Hans from saying anymore.

"Excuse me, Prince Hans, I'm confused. I'll be trading with _your _island?"

"Ah, my apologies, Queen Elsa. I forget that many people are unaccustomed with the structure of my father's kingdom. I'll try to be brief. The Kingdom of the Southern Isles is an archipelago made up of thirteen large islands and several smaller ones. When the first king unified the islands it was with the promise to wed the daughters of the other islands' rulers. That same tradition has been in place since then. Each son, or daughter, is then left to rule the island of their birth."

Elsa looked at the prince in astonishment. "You have twelve siblings?"

Hans couldn't stop a chuckle. "Twelve older brothers, actually."

"How is a successor chosen?"

"Each prince or princess must somehow find favor with the king. The only one not allowed to take the throne is the prince from the same island as the king. That particular rule was put in place to avoid favoritism."

"That is quite a unique system your country has, Prince Hans."

"Believe me, I know. And amazingly it has worked for several centuries."

Elsa chewed on her bottom lip. She knew that she still had business to conduct with the prince but now her curiosity was peaked and she had a million or more questions she wanted to ask about Hans' country. But she reigned herself in. She could always find material on it in the library later if she was so inclined. There was, however, one question that burned in the forefront of her mind.

"Prince Hans, before we continue our business, I hope I may ask you one last question about your country. Other methods of governance have always fascinated me and yours is by far the most fascinating of all."

"Of course, Queen Elsa. If it is within my power, I shall answer it for you."

"Thank you. This is more of a hypothetical question but suppose a queen is chosen instead and there were only daughters to choose from. What then?"

"Ah. Believe it or not, Your Majesty, things similar to that have happened before, either the males were too old or too young or only a female candidate was viable." At this point Hans blushed and shifted uncomfortably in his chair. "When this happens there is an alchemic potion a queen can take that would give her the...workings...of a man."

Elsa processed this information for a moment then flushed bright red when she realized what Hans meant.

"I-I-I see," she stuttered in embarrassment. "F-forgive me, Prince Hans. I did not mean to bring up such an inappropriate topic."

Hans brought up his hands to placate the young queen. "No harm done, Your Majesty. Believe it or not, there are many within the nobility who are curious about the same thing. As a matter of fact, that same alchemic potion is one of our main exports. It is partly that reason why relationships between two women are not frowned upon in many countries. The ability to produce an heir is possible should that relationship be between two noble houses."

Elsa, her curiosity sated, composed herself and cleared her throat.

"Well then, shall we continue? What is it exactly you wish to trade with Arendelle?"

"Iron ore."

"Oh?"

"My island used to be rich in the ore and was the main source of iron for the Southern Isles as a whole. But sadly centuries of mining have nearly bled them dry. My Lord Father sent me here to procure a new source of iron for the Southern Isles. Though your asking price is quite high, I believe that my proposal will make up for the loss in monetary gain."

Elsa flipped to said page and read over what the Southern Isles, or Samarkand, would be paying Arendelle for their shipments of ore. Her eyebrows shot past her bangs when she saw the price. She placed her hands back on the table and looked Hans in the eyes.

"Prince Hans, I must admit that this is a very generous offer. My kingdom would greatly benefit from the tripled amount."

The smile left the prince's face and he reached for the parchment, quickly reading over his proposal again. After reading it for the third time her looked at the queen and cleared his throat.

"Queen Elsa, I'm not sure I see what you are talking about. I am most confident that what I am asking is half of the current selling price for your standard shipments of iron ore. Not triple."

Elsa held out a hand and Hans passed the parchment back. The queen looked over the asking price again and noticed what was wrong. She placed the proposal on the desk and smiled at the prince.

"You need not worry, Prince Hans. The discrepancy lies with me, not yourself, and I must apologize for my oversight. The numbers you presented me with are what the prices were under Octavius. I have since reduced all prices on purchases from my kingdom and tariffs on imported and exported goods back to their original cost."

Hans relaxed a little and let loose a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness. I had thought for a minute that I had made a complete fool of myself."

"However, I am not sure that I can agree to half the price for any shipment of iron ore I might send you. Octavius hurt my kingdom finically and though it is true that many of our previous buyers have returned to do business with us, it will still be some time before I can entertain the idea of providing any sort of discount to any of my trade partners."

The prince nodded. "I surmised as much, Your Majesty. That is why I included an incentive that might make this proposal a bit more...palatable. If I may?"

Elsa nodded for him to continue. Hans smiled in thanks and pulled out another sheet of parchment from his binder and handed it to the queen.

"I wish to make up the difference in the transaction with a good that I am sure your kingdom will greatly appreciate."

"And that is?"

"Lumber."

"Lumber?"

"Yes, Your Majesty. I know that your country has its own forests but I also know that because of how far north you live you only have a short window of time to harvest the amount of timber each of your cities need to survive the winter. And although Arendelle has done an admiral job of doing this, I also know that you struggle each year to distribute the lumber fairly and equally."

"You are very well informed, Prince Hans," Elsa said skeptically.

"I have done my research."

"Indeed you have. While it is true that my country struggles each year with our lumber harvest, we still harvest the required amount and my people make it through each and every winter."

"And I am not saying that they do not. But it has come to my attention that during your former chancellor's rule, the amount of lumber harvested was greatly reduced because of the high taxes he placed on the harvesting and selling of the lumber. I understand that there were many deaths during the long winters as a result."

Elsa's hands balled into fists. What Hans was saying was true. Because of the taxes levied on the lumber industry and the outlandish amount of regulation placed on the lumber companies, the kingdom's lumberjacks had difficulty cutting and selling the required amount of lumber needed to survive the harsh winters of Arendelle. And as a consequence, many of her citizens had frozen to death. When Elsa had read about the deaths and the cause of each one in the secrete reports passed to her by Kai, she had wept for hours at a time in the arms of her sister, Anna barely able to contain her own grief as she consoled Elsa.

Even now, with the taxes lowered and the original regulations restored, the lumberjacks were scurrying to harvest as much as they could. Elsa knew that the summer season was almost over and the harsh winters would soon be moving in. Winter was coming to Arendelle and as much as it pained her to admit it, if she did not accept the prince's offer, more of her people would die this year. Not even her private stockpiles would be enough to accommodate the entire kingdom.

"It's true. Those were some very difficult years for my people." She have herself a mental shake. Back to business. "Prince Hans, I must know, why are you still asking for half of the selling and tariff price despite it being lower that what you originally predicted?"

"Because you are trading with my island and not the kingdom as a whole. So it is suffice to say that my coffers are quite smaller than my father's. If you accept the trade offer then I should be able to pay full price in one year's time."

"One year?"

"It was originally going to be six months. This would be after the price adjustment."

Elsa looked back at the proposal and did a quick numbers run in her head. They would take a financial hit, no doubt, but with internal trading within the kingdom picking back up and other countries slowly but surely resuming their trade with Arendelle, Prince Hans' capital would be a small but welcome addition to the royal coffers. And there would be enough lumber coming in to prepare her people for winter and begin construction on new navel and merchant ships. She was already in the process of trying to get back the ships that Octavius had sold to other countries but there was no telling how long that would take. In the meantime she needed to rebuild and strengthen her country's fleet again. Elsa nodded to herself. She was defiantly getting the better end of this deal. As it stood she had everything to gain and almost nothing to lose.

Taking out a pen, Elsa dipped it in an inkwell and brought it to the parchment, crossing out numbers and adjusting prices. Once finished, she let the ink dry then passed the edited proposal back to Hans.

"Please look over the changes I have made and make sure they are to your liking."

Hans scanned the contents and nodded in satisfaction. "Everything is in order, Your Majesty."

"Very good. Once this proposal has been redrafted I will call my Ministers of Justice and Trade to our next meeting and we will finalize the agreement and assure its legality between our nations."

"Excellent, Your Majesty." Hans put the papers back into his binder and tied it shut. "I shall have my staff work on the redrafting process when I return to the Dignitaries Mansion. Once we have it rewritten I will send word and wait to hear back about our next meeting."

The two royals rose to their feet and Elsa escorted the prince to her study doors. Elsa was reaching for the handle when the doors suddenly flew open and Anna came barreling into the room, barely managing to stop in time and avoid crashing into her sister.

"Elsa!" she yelped after straightening herself. She noticed her sister's guest and quickly composed herself. "I mean, Queen Elsa, I have an urgent message for you." Anna glanced at Hans. "Only you."

"I see. Prince Hans, will you excuse me a moment?"

"Of course, Your Majesty. I shall wait out here." He bowed slightly to Anna. "Your Highness."

Anna politely nodded in return. Elsa closed the door behind the prince and took her sister's hand, leading her away from the door and to her desk so they could talk in semi-privacy.

"So what is the message?" Elsa asked in a hushed whisper.

"The warden and his party are finally here," Anna answered just a quietly. "The keep guards are all in the courtyard and the warden went to the throne room. He believes that Octavius will be meeting him there."

"And the prisoner?"

"In the dungeon. I had two of our guards escort him down there and remain by his cell so that they could bring him to you whenever you are ready to see him."

Warmth erupted in the queen's chest and spread through her body. Affection and adoration flooded her being and she wondered, once again, what she did to deserve such a wonderful sister. The way Anna always seemed to know just what she wanted done and did it without Elsa saying a thing to her never ceased to astound her.

"Have I ever told you how amazing you are?"

Anna flushed, her sister's praise bringing forth the usual feelings of giddiness and warmth, a smile erupting on her face.

"Quite often but I can stand to hear it some more."

Elsa smiled and poked a chubby red cheek.

"Cheeky girl." Elsa's eyebrows suddenly furrowed and she leaned closer to her sister. "Anna, did you take the warden to the throne room personally?"

The smile left Anna's face and she shook her head. "No, he went there himself, saying he'd wait there for the chancellor as per usual."

Elsa felt her stomach drop and she worried for a moment that she was going to be sick. The thought of Octavius holding meetings in the throne room, no doubt _sitting_ on her father's throne...on _her_ throne! The sick feeling was suddenly burned away by the cold fury that washed over her. She didn't need conformation from anyone or even the man himself to know that he did it. Octavius was arrogant enough and condescending enough to do anything that would make a mockery out of her kingdom.

If her sister had not been standing next to her, Elsa was sure that a small blizzard would have manifested by then and she would have stormed off to the dungeon and killed Vickers herself. But Anna had always had a calming effect on her by just merely being in her presence and Elsa did the same for her sister. Their parents had once joked that it was because of the opposites in their powers and personality that they kept each other from giving into their extremes.

Elsa took a deep and calming breath, looking her sister in the eyes.

"Okay. Thank you for telling me, Anna. I'll go see him now. What is his name?"

"Davik. His guards called him Warden Davik." Elsa turned to leave but Anna grabbed her hands forcing her sister to look at her. "Please try to keep your anger in check. The man is extremely arrogant. If Octavius was the icing on the cake, this guy's the cherry on top. He didn't even treat me like I was the princess. He probably thinks that Octavius is still in charge."

Elsa stopped the groan that threatened to escape her throat. Great, another arrogant individual who thought he was above everyone, even the Crown. Although she might be able to use his lack of knowledge about the former chancellor's fate to her advantage. She could catch him by surprise, get him to reveal something he might otherwise keep hidden.

"That might work in my favor. I need to go see this warden right now and dismiss Prince Hans. Would you escort him from the castle?"

Anna nodded. "Of course."

Elsa smiled in thanks and returned to her study door, opening them to not only see Prince Hans but Christian as well. She silently thanked the gods for sending the steward to her when she needed him.

"Prince Hans, I am afraid that a rather urgent matter has come to my attention and I must see to it immediately. Princess Anna will escort you from the castle."

"I understand, Your Majesty. Thank you once again for seeing me and I eagerly await our next meeting." He offered Anna his arm. "Princess Anna, shall we?"

Anna took the prince's offered arm and the two walked away, the princess looking back and flashing an excited smile at her sister. Elsa returned her sister's smile and pushed aside the small twinge of pain that bloomed in her chest. This was not the time to be an overprotective sister. This was what she wanted for Anna after all, to let her interact with other people besides herself and the castle staff. When they were out of sight she turned to Christian.

"I need you to find two guards and tell them to wait outside the throne room. I will call when I need them." She walked back to her desk quickly and returned with a single piece of parchment. "Also, find Chancellor Kai and send him to the throne room with this document. Understood?"

"Understood, Your Majesty."

Elsa dismissed Christian and headed to the throne room, confident that the castle steward would carry out her orders flawlessly. It did not take her long to reach her destination. Pausing at the door, Elsa checked her appearance, smoothing out any wrinkles that might be in her royal blue dress. She created a mirror of ice that floated in front of her and checked her hair and made sure that her crown was perfectly placed. She had to look and be authoritative. This was her first real confrontation as queen with a single person that did not have the best interest of her kingdom at heart. She had to keep her wits about her and not appear weak. Dissipating the mirror with a flick of her wrist, Elsa grabbed the doorknobs and threw the doors open.

Warden Davik was standing in the middle of the throne room, dressed in the dark green of the Arendelle Royal Army and a black fourragère worn on his left shoulder. Elsa could only guess that signified his position as warden or that he was stationed at Frozen Fractal Keep. He still had on his cold weather coat leading Elsa to believe that he had come straight to the throne room upon arrival. The man turned at the sound of the doors opening and the young queen got her first look at the man. He was young, possibly in his early thirties, brown eyes, a strong jaw and a trimmed black mustache that matched the color of his hair.

"About time you got here, Octavius! I've been waiting for-! Who the hell are you? And where's Chancellor Octavius?"

"Octavius will not be joining us," Elsa said walking past the warden to sit on the throne. "As for who I am, you would do well to recognize your queen and show her the proper respect."

Davik looked at Elsa curiously for a moment then threw his head back and roared with laughter.

"Oh, that Octavius! He's really outdone himself this time! I don't recognize you, girl. You must be new. Have to say though, you certainly resemble the queen quite well. I'll have to send a little something extra with you when you return to Madam Edna."

Elsa stared at the warden as he laughed. Though her face remained neutral and impassive, inside she was nearly bursting with anger. How dare this man show such disrespect to his queen! True, she had expected something like this when she was told about his allegiance to Octavius. But to see something this blatant? And who was this Madam Edna he was talking about and what did it have to do with her? Elsa's attention was brought back to the warden when she heard something fall to the floor. Davik had removed his sword belt, cold-weather coat and gloves, dropping them in a pile on the floor and he was reaching up to unbutton his green military jacket.

"Gotta say though, we need to work on your attitude a bit. I like my queen a bit more...submissive." The jacket joined the pile and he began walking towards Elsa, his hands going to the buttons on his trousers. "But since you're already in my favorite position we can go ahead and get started and I'll work on your attitude adjustment another time." The warden looked Elsa up and down and grinned in satisfaction. "Could never understand why Octavius bothers with the Princess Anna lookalikes when a queen is so much better but whatever. Probably has a thing for redheads."

He was at the foot of the dais when Elsa finally understood what he was talking about and what exactly had taken place in the room and _on_ _her_ _throne_ for God knows how long. Disgust well up within her and she forced herself to stay seated. Davik leered at her and licked his lips in lecherous hunger.

"Pull up your dress and spread your legs, Queenie. You're about to get royally fucked on your throne."

That was the last straw. Surging to her feet, Elsa threw out her hands and her magic erupted forth, striking the floor on opposite sides of Davik. She jerked her arms up and icy chains shot out and wrapped themselves around the warden's wrists. Her hands moved again and the warden was pulled to his knees, eyes wide as he stared at the queen.

"What the hell is this?! What are _you_ even doing here?! You're supposed to be under Octavius' control! Too scared and weak to even look at your own shadow without pissing yourself! Both of you are!"

The doors burst open at that moment and two guards rushed in with swords drawn. Davik looked over his shoulder and sighed with relief.

"Finally!" He flexed his arms, causing the ice chains to rattle. "Get me the hell out of these and take this bitch back to her room and lock her in there! Then I demand to be taken to Chancellor Octavius immediately!"

The two guards stopped just shy of Davik and looked at Elsa. The warden's face went red with fury at being ignored.

"Didn't you hear me, you morons?!" he yelled, spittle flying from his mouth. "I said get me the hell out of these things!"

"Your orders, Queen Elsa?" one asked.

Elsa nodded curtly. "Cut him free."

The two swords came down, shattering the chains. Davik pushed himself to his feet and rubbed his sore wrists.

"Took you long enough! Now, take that bitch back to her room and-! What the fuck are you doing?!"

The guards had each grabbed an arm and twisted them behind the warden's back, holding him in place as he thrashed about helplessly.

"Let me go this instant! Do you know who I am?! I have the ear of the Chancellor himself! I'll see you two fucks hanged for this!"

"Enough!" Elsa roared, her voice echoing within the Great Hall. "Guards, take the former warden to the dungeons. Tell the guards stationed there to bring Kristoff Bjorgman to me. You may return to your posts afterwards."

The two guards saluted and dragged the still cursing Davik away, one guard bending down to scoop up the discarded clothing and sword. Once they were gone and the doors closed, Elsa collapsed back onto the throne. That had defiantly not gone the way she had expected. She was expecting him to try and lie his way out of what he did, to throw his superiors overboard, saying that he was only following orders or some such nonsense. But the amount of hate and anger that radiated off the man was unusual. Almost like it was an insult that he had been caught.

And the things he mentioned, about him and Octavius getting lookalikes of herself and Anna and, and...sleeping with them! Elsa brought a hand to her mouth, afraid that she would be sick. She pushed the feeling away, forcing it to the back of her mind, instead focusing on what she had done with her magic.

She had never done anything like that before. Although she and Anna could create swords and use their powers in both an offensive and defensive manner, they had never created anything beyond those simple shapes, her mirror and Anna's phoenix notwithstanding. Their time with Pabbi had been spent learning how to control their powers and not fear them. This had been the first time that Elsa had created something purely from her imagination alone. Even their swords were based off the weapons of the Royal Army.

When the warden had been walking towards her and saying those things about her, Elsa had just wanted him to stop, both physically and verbally. The chains had been a split second answer to one of her problems and she had let instinct take over. If she could conjure simple chains from her thoughts alone, the possibilities of other things that she could create were endless. A wave of giddiness settled over her and she got the strong urge to run through the castle and find Anna and tell her of what she had done.

She restrained herself though. There was still one more meeting she had to attend to then she would seek out her sister. Maybe, after all this business with the trial and the affairs of her kingdom were in order, she and Anna could take a trip up to the Valley of the Living Rock and talk to Pabbi about furthering their powers. It had been so long since she and Anna had seen the kind-hearted troll. She hoped he and his fellow trolls were doing well after all this time. A knock at the Great Hall doors brought the queen form her inner musings. Elsa sat up straight, made sure she was presentable and cleared her throat.

"Enter."

The doors opened and two guards walked in, a third man dressed in prison garb between them, his hands clasped in a pair of iron cuffs. The trio stopped at a respectful distance and the guards saluted.

"My Queen," on spoke up. "As you requested, here is Prisoner Number 34 of Frozen Fractal Keep."

"Thank you. Step forward, prisoner."

Kristoff did as instructed, the chains around his ankles only allowing him to take small steps forward. He bowed before the queen.

"Your Majesty, thank you for letting me speak with you! My name is-"

"I know who you are, Kristoff Bjorgman. Now, stand up straight so I can look at you."

The prisoner straightened up and Elsa got her first good look at Kristoff Bjorgman. He was tall, missing Nemo's height by a few inches. His shoulders were broad with muscled arms, no doubt a result of his years as an ice harvester. He had a comely face with a strong jaw covered in a thick stubble, light brown eyes, a slightly large noes and long, oily blond hair, no doubt a result from his stay at the keep without proper hygienic care. All in all, average. The type of person that you could pass in a crowd and not take notice of. And he seemed to be an honest man, if his recent actions at the Arendelle Wall were any indication.

"Kristoff Bjorgman, you have been brought before me by your own request so you may challenge the charges laid against you. These charges are numerous and include disturbing the peace, inciting a violent mob, rebellion against the Crown and treason against the Crown. How do you plea?"

"I am innocent of all charges, Your Majesty."

Elsa nodded to herself, expecting the answer.

"Mister Bjorgman, you do realize that by asking to bring your case before me directly, you are forgoing a trial and that your fate rests solely in my hands and on your own ability to convince me of your innocence without legal counsel?"

"I am aware, Your Majesty."

"Then speak your peace. I will hear what you have to say in your defense."

"Thank you, Your Majesty," Kristoff began. "If I am guilty of anything, it is that I was loyal to Queen and Country and did not act fast enough to save either. These crimes that I have been accused of are nothing more than made-up charges so that Chancellor Octavius could stop me from doing my duty as a citizen of Arendelle and a servant to the Crown. I never disturbed the peace, I merely informed those that would listen of the laws that the Chancellor was breaking. The mobs spoken of were nothing more the gathering of people that would stop and listen to me. We never once turned violent."

"Have you any evidence to back up these claims?"

"Of the physical kind, I do not, Your Majesty," he said with a shake of his head. "But if you were to talk to the people who frequent the Sleepy Hollow Tavern they will tell you the same things I just have."

Elsa already knew this to be true. A day after sending her order to bring Kristoff to the castle, Elsa had Kai dispatch the spymaster to gather any information regarding Kristoff's movements and activates before his arrest. Two days later the report was waiting for her on her desk in the study. The report told of a group of local fishermen, known as the Sleepy Hollow Boys, who frequented the tavern daily.

According to the report, they, and the tavern's proprietor, one Brome Bones, were the ones who had the most contact with Kristoff during his speeches. They would encourage people to stop and listen and would also be the ones who would move the crowd outside to the street when the tavern became too crowded. They would also act as the unofficial crowd control, keeping those who gathered to listen from getting too far into the busy streets and clogging the road. Elsa was happy to hear that what Kristoff said corroborated with what was written in the report.

"And the rebellion and treason?"

"It is hardly rebellion or treason when we it is against a man not of the royal blood. As a citizen of Arendelle it is my duty to protect the country and the royal family from any and all threats. This duty is not just restricted to the citizens, but the nobles as well. And as they were doing nothing to stop the chancellor, I saw it as my duty to do the job they refused to do."

"And what makes you believe you were entitled to take this course of action?"

Elsa did not want to seem too harsh with the man but she had to be sure that Kristoff only had the good of Arendelle at heart when he had tried to oust Octavius. And she also needed to know just how deep his knowledge of the laws went before she appointed him to the Keeper position.

"It was one of the first decrees written in the Arendelle Charter of Laws, put there by King Agdar the First not long after the kingdom's founding."

The blond cleared his throat and recited, "Let it be known that all who live and are borne in the realm of Arendelle, and any lands acquired hereafter, that they are bound by law and duty to protect both King and Country from any and all threats until their last breath."

Elsa could not help but nod in satisfaction.

"A very impressive memory you have, Mister Bjorgman. Tell me, are you a learned man? Which institute did you attend?"

Kristoff shifted awkwardly, the chains rattling. "Ah, none, Your Majesty. I taught myself to read and write. I began learning the law when my fellow ice harvesters began complaining about the regent's actions."

Elsa was barely able to stop herself from blinking in astonishment. It was rare for a person who did not attend a school of some sort to have the ability to read or write, let alone the drive to teach themselves.

"You continue to impress, Mister Bjorgman. Now, before I pass judgment, is there anything else you wish to say?"

Kristoff stood silently, searching his queen's face, trying to see if she had disbelieved anything that he had told her. But it was impossible. Queen Elsa's face gave away nothing, not a single emotion being let through, making Kristoff unable to read her. And that scared him. He knew that as queen she could not let herself show favoritism towards anyone but at that moment, he wished that she would show him _something_. Something to let him know that he was either going to live or die in the next few minutes. Knowing what he said next may very well be his last words to his queen, Kristoff chose something that he hoped would make the young woman in front him think about those she kept in her company.

"Do not trust Chancellor Octavius, Your Majesty. He does not have Arendelle's best interest at heart."

Elsa was confused for a second then remembered. Kristoff had been a prisoner of Frozen Fractal Keep for a year. This was his first time back in Arendelle proper and he had not been here long enough to hear about the former chancellor and his cohorts. She suppressed the urge to smile. Kristoff Bjorgman was about to get a much unexpected surprise.

"Have you anything more to say?" Kristoff shook his head. "Then are you ready to receive my judgment?"

"I am, Your Majesty."

Rising to her feet, Elsa kept her face neutral as she stared into Kristoff's eyes. The former ice harvester did not look away from his queen. If he was destined for the chopping block, gallows or firing squad, he would at least show the queen that he was not afraid. And that he believed that what he did was right.

"After hearing the evidence presented before me and by the power granted to me by God Almighty and the Charter, I, Queen Elsa of Arendelle, do hereby find you, Kristoff Bjorgman...innocent of all charges and proclaim you a free man. Guards, remove the shackles."

Kristoff stared, dumbfounded, as his restraints were removed. Of all the possible scenarios he had imagined, his queen proclaiming him innocent was not one of them.

"I- Uh- What-?"

"I have known of Octavius' actions for some time but was not in a position to take action against him. Until now. The former chancellor was arrested at my coronation ball and has been in the castle dungeons ever since. Along with those who knowingly helped him."

"Then why...?"

"I needed to see you for myself. I had to know if your intentions for Arendelle were true or if you were simply taking advantage of an opportune moment. I am happy to see that it is the former. Your actions at the wall's gate and the honesty you have presented before me have done more to convince me of your innocence than a hired lawyer with his smooth tongue could ever hope to do."

"Your words do me great honor, Your Majesty."

The queen smiled. "You are more worthy of them than half the nobles in my kingdom. In fact, I am in of need a man of your integrity."

"I am yours to command, my Queen. What would you have of me?"

A knock at the throne room's doors interrupted what the queen had been about to say. Instead she bid them enter, already knowing who it was. Kai entered the room and walked the length to stand by his queen, handing her the rolled up parchment he had with him.

"As you ordered, Your Majesty." He glanced at Kristoff. "This is the young man, I take it?"

"Indeed," Elsa said as she unrolled the parchment and nodded in satisfaction. She held it out to Kristoff. "Mister Bjorgman, if you would."

The ice harvester took the parchment from the queen. As he read it his eyes became wider and his mouth slowly fell open in shock and surprise. He reread it again, just to make sure he did not miss something. Convinced that his eyes did not mislead him, Kristoff looked up at his queen, a million questions flashing through his mind. Instead of trying to put them into order he simply blurted out the first one he was able to grasp onto.

"Why?"

"As I said before, I am in need of a man such as yourself. My vassals were cowed into place at my coronation but I am not naïve enough to think that will keep them in line for long. They have enjoyed using their power without restriction or consequence for far too long and I am sure that they will soon try to act as they did when Octavius was in charge. That is why I need you, Mister Bjorgman. For when they do begin to act against me, I need to show them that I will not tolerate it and neither will the one who ensures that the laws of the land are adhered to and followed.

"I believe you to be that man, Mister Bjorgman. Your actions have spoken louder than any words I would care to hear. And I am sure that your strength of character will not so be easily swayed by promises of power and gold."

"That is a lot of faith you have put into one man, Your Majesty. Especially one you have just met."

Elsa could not help but smile. His blunt honesty was a refreshing change of pace from the polite speech the castle staff greeted her and Anna with.

"I am confident that my faith is justly placed. I do recognize that you are merely a man, Mister Bjorgman, and that you will more than likely be tempted by a many number of things. But I have the utmost faith and confidence that you will stay true to your position and do your duty as a citizen of Arendelle."

Kristoff was once again honored and humbled by his queen's words of praise. To think that the ruling monarch could hold someone of his status in such high regard was unheard of. It was the stuff of fairytales and wishful thinking. Yet here it was, happening to him. Not only that, but the queen was giving him the chance to truly help Arendelle and keep his country safe from those who would abuse and break the laws of the land. A tremendous honor and a tremendous amount of responsibility but if his queen believed that he was the right man for the job then he would do his best to serve and protect his queen.

"If that is what my queen wishes of me, then I will abide by her wishes and accept the position."

Elsa frowned. That was not the answer she had been expecting. She did not want Kristoff to take the position simply because his queen wished it. She wanted him to take it because _he_ wanted it. Perhaps she needed to make that clear to him first so that there was no confusion.

"Mister Bjorgman, there seems to be a slight miscommunication so allow me to clarify. You are a citizen of Arendelle. But you are also a free man. And while it _would_ please me greatly for you to accept this position, I am in no way _forcing_ you to take it. That is your decision and your decision alone. You may accept or refuse it with no fear of repercussions for your decision. So, I ask you again, Kristoff Bjorgman, free man of Arendelle, would you like to become my Keeper of the Laws?"

Kristoff was once again taken by surprise by his queen. To think that his sovereign would give him, a commoner, the choice to deny an offer she was giving him was greatly unheard of. Not just unheard of, it never happened. When the monarchy wanted something they got it, no questions asked, no room for refusal. Yet here stood Queen Elsa, throwing almost every societal norm out the preverbal window. It made him respect her all the more. If she was this fair and generous with him, there was no doubt in his mind that she would try and extend the same courtesy to all those under her rule. And that was the type of person that he would gladly and willfully serve under.

"Your Majesty, it would honor me and please me greatly to serve as your Keeper of the Laws," he said with a respectful bow.

Elsa nodded in acceptance even though she wanted to release a breath of relief. She had been afraid that Kristoff would reject her proposal and want to return to his quite life as an ice harvester now that Octavius had been ousted. She was beyond ecstatic that he decided to stay. She held out a hand and Kristoff returned the parchment to her. Kai picked up a bracing board from behind the throne and Elsa smoothed the parchment against the surface. The chancellor placed a pen and inkwell on the throne's armrest and Elsa dipped the pen inside, removed the excess ink and signed her name. Kai nodded in conformation and she returned the pen and turned to Kristoff.

"On my authority as Queen, I hereby name you, Kristoff Bjorgman, my Keeper of the Laws. Allow me to be the first to congratulate you on your new position, Lord Bjorgman."

Kristoff did a double-take and his mouth dropped open, not quite believing what he had just heard.

"Wait! Wait, wait, wait! Did you just refer to me as 'lord', Your Majesty?"

"Yes, I did."

"Um, you do realize that I don't have a speck of noble blood in me? I'm as far from a 'lord' as anyone could get."

"An inherited estate and a pedigree does not automatically make a person 'noble' in my opinion. What makes a person worthy of that title comes from a man's heart and actions. You, Mister Bjorgman, are far more noble than most of the aristocrats in my entire kingdom. And besides, I have a feeling that after the trial the Keeper's Mansion will be needing someone to take up residence in it. I intend that person to be you."

"I...uh, well, that is... Thank you, Your Majesty."

"No thanks are necessary. You earned this by being loyal to the Crown and doing more than most. Unfortunately you will not be able to move in right away. The former Keeper's family still resides there. Until they are evicted you may reside in the guest wing of the castle."

Elsa made to dismiss Kristoff but stopped when she noticed that the blonde was fidgeting in place, looking as if he wanted to speak up but refraining from doing so. Her curiosity piqued, Elsa turned her attention back to him.

"You have something to say. Speak your mind, Mister Bjorgman."

"I was simply wondering, Your Majesty, what will happen to the Keeper's family? They won't be kicked out onto the streets, will they?"

"Not at all. The Keeper's Manor is the property of the Crown and is only used when an individual has been appointed Keeper. The remaining family will simply return to the estate they previously lived in."

"Ah, I see. That's good."

"Now, if you will excuse me, I have other duties I must attend to. Kai, could you find someone to prepare a guest room for Mister Bjorgman? Oh, and set aside a stall in the stables for his reindeer companion."

Kristoff's eyes lit up. "You'd do that for Sven? Wait, how did you even know about him?"

"I was told of the reunion between the two of you at the gate and that he was also your partner in the ice harvesting business. And I would gladly do that for him."

Kristoff's smile was big and without thinking he approached the queen quickly and took a hand, shaking it furiously, causing Elsa's entire body to jerk.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you, so much, Your Majesty!" It took the iceman a few more shakes to realize what he was dong then he quickly dropped the queen's had as if it had been on fire and stepped back several paces, eyes going to the floor and a hand coming up to scratch the back of his head in embarrassment. "Sorry 'bout that."

Elsa straightened her posture, smoothed the wrinkles from her dress and readjusted the crown atop her head. That she had not been expecting. Although she could not fault the man for his enthusiasm and utter lack of decorum. He was not used to the rules of court like she and her sister were.

"No harm done. Now then, if you will follow Chancellor Kai, he will make sure that you have lodgings for the extension of your stay here and more suitable attire. Take the rest of the day to become familiar with your new accommodations. I will introduce you to the rest of my staff tomorrow."

With one last nod in thanks, Kristoff was lead from the throne room and the doors were closed behind them. As soon as the _click_ sounded throughout the room, Elsa sank back into the throne, releasing a long sigh of exhaustion. That had gone better than she had thought it would. A traitor was locked up, an innocent man was freed and she had a Keeper of the Laws that she could trust. More importantly she had discovered a new way to use her powers. She needed to explore this new aspect. Not just her but Anna as well. The last thing that the two of them needed was to have their powers run rampant if their mere thoughts could influence what they shaped. Oh God if a mere errant thought caused their powers to go out of control...

_Use it, don't abuse it. Don't let it overflow._

Pabbie's guiding words entered her mind and Elsa immediately calmed down. This was not the time to lose her wits. This new use of her powers was intimidating, to be sure, but she was doing no one any favors by letting fear overcome her. She would seek Anna out in the next day or so. They were in dire need of a session. Their powers had been pent up for so long, only being released in small amounts during their imprisonment. Once they had some free time they could come to the Great Hall like they did sometimes as children and really let loose with their powers. They could even experiment on creating object from their mind alone. Small scale of course. Elsa would make it clear that nothing bigger than her throne would be permitted. Best to tell Anna that from the start. Her sister had a habit of going a bit overboard at times when something excited her. Her decision made, Elsa rose from her throne and left the Great Hall, heading towards her study to look over some more detailed reports on the status of Arendelle.

But first, she was going to find Anna and tell her sister everything that had happened.

(End of Part Four)

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><p>AN: Another chapter in the bag. And even a little early. I hope you all enjoy reading this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it. And hey look at that, Kristoff finally showed up. Keep those reviews and favorites coming. They're the fuel that keeps me writing. See y'all next month.


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